Harper
by paperkite
Summary: None of the Gladers could remember a girl. Not any like her, anyway. But when Harper arrives in the Glade, the place gets a much needed wake-up call. Unlike many others, she's calm. Unlike many others, she's strong in a way that none of the boys could have foreseen. Unlike many others, she knows something is wrong, and she is determined to unravel the secrets of the Maze.
1. Chapter I: Welcome To Hell

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter I_**

 _Welcome To Hell_

At first, I wasn't even sure if I had actually woken up. I had opened my eyes - or thought I had. Then why was everything still pitch black? I shakily put my fingers to my cheeks, letting them slowly travel upwards to my eyes. I had a hard time keeping them open - my lashes stuck together like cages in front of my sight. I plucked at my lashes, which only caused some of them to be pulled right out of my eyelid. I quickly put my hand back into my lap - a safe place.

My curiosity soon had gotten the better of me as I let my hands wander to the space beside me. I cautiously poked my fingers inside the holes between the metal grid, tapping and gliding them across the cold surface. A short shock caused me to quickly pull back my hands, only seconds before a jolt of the room caused me to fall over.

A confused frown formed itself on my face. "Hello?" I whispered, trying to hear the slightest sound in the silence surrounding me - to no success. It felt like the room had become even more silent after I had spoken.

A wave of nausea came over me as I tried to stand up, causing me to throw up the content of my stomach all over the floor. The smell made me gag, but fortunately I was able to keep it in this time. My eyes began to water, tears I immediately wiped away with the sleeve of my shirt. I probably looked like some kind of baby animal, my legs trembling underneath my bony body. Now that the floor was covered in vomit, I wasn't planning on sitting back down anytime soon.

Now that I was standing up, I suddenly noticed the faint red light. It flickered off and on every couple of seconds, still making it hard to see. It was better than nothing though, and enough to help me explore the room. I held onto the wall - which was made of the same metal raster as the floor - as I moved around, slowly and carefully.

After a bit of shuffling my feet bumped into what seemed to be a crate. Curiously, I knelt down by the wooden box to inspect it. I ran my hand across the rough, wooden material, trying to detect something odd about the object. I lost interest in it after a couple of seconds already, almost moving on to the next crate. My eyes fell onto a couple of bold letters, making me squint my eyes to read them.

At that exact moment a bright light flooded the room, making me squeeze my eyes shut immediately. I put my arms in front of my head - as if that would protect me from what was outside. The faint sound of laughter came from above me, making me want to crawl into a corner and make myself as small as possible.

A deep voice made the chatter die down. "Get the poor green-bean out of there, see what he's made of." He? Why were they talking about me as if I was a boy? I slowly lowered my arms, my eyes still squinting against the bright sun.

"Who are you?" I asked confusedly, not even sure to who I was addressing my question. They didn't seem to have heard me - there wasn't a reply. I looked up, realizing I was in a very unfortunate position. Me being stuck in a box was worse enough - that box being surrounded by a crowd of people didn't make it any better. A couple of them looked down at me with hungry eyes, their mouths kept shut and formed into a slight smile. I locked eyes with a boy, his face dotted with many coppery freckles. Though I wasn't even moving, he slowly backed away from his spot above me.

Someone decided to break the silence. "Holy shit."

My eyes moved to the boy who had spoken. "Holy shit indeed," I said, not sure of what to do. "Where am I?"

A smirk appeared on the boy's face. "Hell, greenie."

"Is no one going to acknowledge the fact that she's a girl?" Someone said, which immediately caused an uproar. Suddenly, a lot more people appeared around the box, curiously looking down at me and shouting obscenities.

"A girl? Got dibs!"

"She hot? I bet she is."

My cheeks reddened at the comments, but there was nowhere to hide in the box. I put my hands to my face to hide it from them, but that only caused the roaring to become louder.

The same voice as before spoke, causing most of the boys to back off. "Give the greenie some space, shuckfaces. Your ugly faces're scaring her shitless."

The boy to who the voice belonged to - a dark-skinned boy with cropped hair - suddenly hovered over the box. His eyebrows scrunched together upon seeing me - he was probably wondering about what to do with me.

I needed some clarity. "Who _are_ you?"

"I'm Alby - the leader of this place. Do you know your name?"

The question kind of surprised me. He didn't ask for my name - he asked me if I knew it or not. Which I realized I didn't, actually.

I shook my head. "I don't."

Alby nodded, as if he understood. What was going on here?

The boy turned around, facing the crowd of boys. "Keepers - stay here. Everyone else, back to work! Nothing to see here!" Though there were various exclaims of protest, the crowd thinned out until only a couple of boys were left.

Alby turned back to me, before kneeling down and reaching out his hand to me. "C'mon, I'll haul you up."

I slowly reached out my own hand to grab his, but quickly pulled back after our fingers almost touched. I had no idea what was out there, or what they would do with me once I got out. He frowned, but kept his hand in place for me to grab.

"Keep your distance, please. I'll come out by myself."

Though he seemed surprised by my request, he pulled back his arm and stood up. As he quietly discussed with the other boys - or Keepers, I guessed - I shuffled towards one of the walls. To my frustration, my fingers couldn't reach the edge - not even when standing on my toes. I heard someone chuckle from above me, causing me to shoot the boy a pissed-off glare. A wide grin appeared on his face, and he gave me a quick wink - probably to piss me off even more.

Determined to show him I wasn't some joke, I jumped up and grasped the edge of the box. The muscles in my arms burned as I pulled myself up. After a couple of seconds I rolled onto the soft grass of .. Hell? Was there grass in Hell?

An amused smirk appeared on Mister Charmer's face. "Impressive, girly."

"Yeah, sure," I replied, groaning as I stretched my arms. "And you are..?"

"The coolest guy you'll ever meet."

I shook my head, a small smile creeping onto my face. "I highly doubt that."

He brought his hand to his heart, as if been shot by my words. "Rude! My name's Minho, greenie, Keeper of the Runners."

I pulled up an eyebrow. "Yeah, that doesn't really make sense to me. I'm kind of curious though: what's a greenie?"

"You'' - he pointed both index fingers towards me - ''are a greenie," he said, his expression dead serious. "Someone will explain it to you later."

''Right, but-,'' I began, but I quickly got interrupted by Alby.

"I see you met Minho, greenbean. Don't let him get into your mind, he talks a lot of klunk," he said, eyeing the Asian boy, who pulled up an eyebrow as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'd like to introduce you to my second-in-command."

A blonde boy stuck out his hand, which I unsurely shook. "Name's Newt, 'm in charge of this place whenever this bloke's off," he said, shortly pointing back at Alby when he finished his sentence.

"What's that with your voice?" I asked, curiously pulling up an eyebrow.

"My _what_ \- you mean my accent?" He asked, a hint of a chuckle in his voice. "Should I be offended?"

I shook my head. "No, 's just strange. Never heard anyone talk like that."

"Well yeah, you only spoke with a handful of boys. Though now that you say it, I don't think there's anyone else in the Glade with an accent-"

"The Glade?" I asked, scrunching my eyebrows together in a frown. What's up with all these strange words?

"That's what we call this place. But enough of that, we'll save that for the tour."

Alby approvingly hummed. "It's not that late yet. You can give her the tour now, finish off right before dinner."

"Sure then. C'mon greenie-girl, time to show you the real business."

 _\- # -_

 _ **Hello to everyone who has made it all the way to the end of this very first chapter. So since it's the first chapter, I'd love to know your opinions on all this. And please, if you decide to be critical about my writing, give me some actual feedback. I can't improve much with only a "this and that sucks". The chapters will probably be between 1000-2000 words each. Now then, if you're still interested, please follow/favourite/review/do whatever you feel like doing! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me. I'd love to get in contact with writers/readers around here. Until next time.**_

 _ **\- paperkite**_


	2. Chapter II: Settle Down

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter II_**

 _Settle Down_

The plate was shaking in my hands. I had already dropped it twice, which had caused some boys to shout comments about my behind the two times I bended over to pick it up. Even though I was looking at the ground, I felt their gazes burning into my face. I wished Newt or Minho - even though he seemed a bit arrogant - was here, keeping me company.

The second-in-command had finished the tour about half an hour ago, but his words were still spooking around my mind. From how things seemed now, my situation wasn't going to become any better - if not worse. Though he informed me about the general things - job trials, glader slang (which I still didn't quite understand) and rules - there were still some gaps left to fill up. He had avoided all my questions about what was beyond the gates. They sparked my curiosity, but he explicitly told me - it was the most important rule, actually - that I was not allowed to ever go past them. I bit my lip as I gazed at the south gate, trying to get a sense of things. Ivy climbed up the stone walls, giving them an eery and creepy look. Though I wanted to find out what was going on, I shuddered at the thought of going near those walls.

I was brought back to reality when someone placed their hand on my waist. I turned around after quickly shaking the boy's hand off, narrowing my eyes at whoever had had the nerve to do something like that. A boy with vibrant, green eyes looked right back at me, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Would you mind _not_ doing that?" I hissed, not breaking our eye-contact.

He chuckled. "What about it, greenie?"

"Go piss off someone else, will you?" I replied, turning back around, only to be turned right back around.

"Dunno greenbean, I quite like you," he said, pulling softly at one of my curls. I harshly swatted his hand away from my hair, only to have him grab my wrist moments after.

"Well, _I_ don't like _you_ ," I said, pulling my wrist out of his hand. "Leave me alone."

"How about-," the boy began, but a shouting voice interrupted him.

"That shuckface messing with ya, greenie?" The guy behind the counter - I thought he was called Frypan - said, causing all the guys in front of me to turn around and look at the scene. Before I had any time to respond, he waved me over to the front. I hurriedly made my way over to the kitchens, not looking back at the green-eyed boy.

"Thanks," I said, accompanied by a weak smile.

"No biggy, gotta make sure our only girl's doing alright," he replied, giving me a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Let's get you some food, shall we?"

I nodded, handing him my plate. He laughed at some boy's joke, his beard shaking as his mouth moved. Didn't that hair get everywhere? I pursed my lips, politely smiling at Frypan as he handed me back my plate - now with some strange, brownish grub on it.

I was about to walk away, but Frypan grabbed my shoulder and pointed at a table. "Newt 'nd Minho usually sit there with a couple of others. Think you're welcome to sit there too, if you'd like."

 _\- # -_

"Well, who do we have here? If it isn't our one and only shuckette!"

I rolled my eyes at the Asian boy. "Thanks Minho. Hello to you too."

"Bit grumpy, ah? Fry told me what happened.'' Minho said as he sat down on opposite side of me. He started shoving the mashed potatoes into his mouth the second he finished his sentence.

I shrugged, secretly looking around if I could spot the boy from before somewhere. He was sitting at a table not too close to ours, chatting with some of the other boys at the table. He blew me a kiss when he saw me looking, causing the other boys at the table to look my way and laugh at my astonished expression. Ugh, boys.

Minho followed my gaze. "Which one?"

I shook my head, shrugging of the subject. "It's no big deal."

He pulled up an eyebrow, but didn't question me any further. "If you say so, greenie."

A couple of minutes passed as we both ate our dinner in silence. The potatoes were okay - it wasn't like I remembered ever having them before. I didn't eat much of them, pricking into my plate and avoiding Minho's gaze. I closed my eyes to enjoy the last bit of warmth of the setting sun. Only a small stripe of light was still visible, the rest of the sun being covered by one of the gigantic walls.

"Nice, isn't it?"

I jolted up slightly, only to shake my head at a chuckling Newt. "Nearly gave me a heartattack. But yeah, I guess it is."

"Get to enjoy these every day around dinner, small benefit from living in a place like this," Newt said, folding his hands behind his head.

"Couple of saps," Minho mumbled, scraping the last bits of his dinner of his plate. He gestured at my plate. "You're not going to eat that?" I pushed my plate over to him, shaking my head. "Would be a waste, ya know." He said, digging into my dinner with his spoon.

I shot Newt a 'can-you-believe-that?' look. "How does he stay so fit?"

Minho wiggled his eyebrows. "S'what you get from running the Maze all day. Liking the view?"

"You wish," I absent-mindedly replied. A maze? What was he talking about? Apparently, Newt felt the same way I did, pulling up an eyebrow at Minho. They seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes, before both switching their gaze to me. I crossed my arms, patiently waiting for an explanation.

"A maze?" I asked. "Interesting. Why not tell me more?"

Newt opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it when a group of boys made their way over to our table. I recognized Alby, though some of the other boys seemed familiar too. Some of them must be Keepers.

Alby quietly nodded at me as a greeting, before doing the same with Newt and Minho. The other boys welcomed themselves to our table a bit louder. Though Newt and Minho didn't seem to happy with them joining us, they made place for them to sit.

Once everyone sat down, they all looked at me expectantly. "Introduce yourself, she-bean!'' One of them said. "C'mon, don't be shy. I'm Winston, Keeper of the Slicers."

I had to try my hardest to not make a face at his pride. The idea of being a Slicer sent shivers down my spine, let alone being their Keeper. Therefore I wasn't exactly sure what he had to be proud of, but I still shook his hand with a small smile.

"I don't think there's much introducing for me to do. I don't even know my name," I said, shrugging. Several sounds of disappointment erupted from the boys, though they didn't seem too bothered by it. I would get it back soon, anyway.

The boys introduced themselves to me one by one, going clockwise around the table. Next to Winston sat Clint, a seemingly kind boy with curly hair. Two younger looking boys, Lennon and Christian, were Builders, while another boy, Gally, was Keeper of the Builders. He didn't say much and seemed a bit into himself, and I promised myself to have a bit of small-talk with him sometime. He looked like he could use a friend.

"So, how about the party tonight? What-," Lennon said, before being interrupted by a slightly alarmed me.

"Party? What party?"

Lennon slammed his fist onto the table, making me and Gally jump a bit. "No one told our greenie about the party? What's this klunk?" He turned to me, his cheeks turning red with excitement. "Greenie parties are the small amount of fun we get in here - 's once a month when someone new shows up."

This was going to be a long night.

 _\- # -_

 ** _And there you have it! Hope you all liked this chapter. So, next chapter: bonfire! How's our one and only shuckette going to enjoy herself there? I've already got a lot of it written out, and from how things are going now, it's going to be a pretty long chapter (at least, for my standards). Thanks to everyone who followed and favourited this story, really motivates me! Thank you Zoey24 for leaving such a kind review, I'm glad you like the story so far! BookRain, such a sweet review! *blushes*. I imagined her to look like the girl on the cover of this story, though I'll probably also write some cute scene in which someone will describe her appearance. I don't want to make any promises about the update dates, but I'm going to try to update once or twice a week. Fortunately, this week's off from school, so I'll have a lot of time to prewrite. I really tried to put a good amount of glader-slang in this chapter, I hope I didn't overdo it in my enthousiasm. Anyway, until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	3. Chapter III: The Bonfire

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter III_**

 _The Bonfire_

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself much."

I shrugged, staring into the dancing flames from a distance. Boys' chatter and laughter echoed through the Glade - at least they were having fun.

Newt sat down next to me on the grass. "Nothing wrong with that. Hardly any greenies enjoy their own parties," he said, handing me a jar with a strange-looking liquid. "Bottoms up."

I stared down at the clear liquid, before hesitantly taking a sip - only to spit it right out again. Newt laughed, patting me on the back while I coughed and wheezed. I shot him an accusing look. "What's in there?"

He shrugged. "Piss and herbs, probably. Gally hasn't told anyone his secret recipe yet."

"It sure tastes like that, what the hell..", I replied.

Newt pulled up an eyebrow and whistled. "Watch your language, lady."

"It's not like you guys have any manners anyway. Half of your stupid slang consists of swears."

"Touché," he said, sipping at his own drink. "Go on then, use some of that glader slang. Call me a shuckface."

I frowned. "What? No! I'm not going to call you that."

Newt grinned. "Why not?" He asked, gazing at my face.

I turned to look him in the eyes. "Because you're not a shuckface?"

"Hm, there's too much hesitation in your voice, greenie,'' he said, a smile tugging at his lips. "Say it: 'You are a shucking shuckface'.''

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, breaking our eye-contact. "Fine," I said, pursing my lips. ".. You're a shuckface."

Newt burst out laughing, a sound which I couldn't deny was a joy for my ears. I pulled up an eyebrow, mocking offence. "What?"

"That sounded so, _so_ painfully awkward. You forgot shucking, by the way. Tell me again," he said, all the while trying to force the smirk off his face. So far, he wasn't succeeding.

"You just love to embarass me, don't you?" I asked, shooting daggers at him. "You are a _shucking_ shuckfaced shuck."

Newt laughed again, applauding my somewhat boldness. "You're bloody amazing, greenie," he said, before standing up. He pulled me up by my arm, despite my various protests. "Let's go see how the others are doing."

 _\- # -_

People cheered and when they saw me and Newt approach the fire. I gave him a sideway glance, a slightly panicked expression making it's way onto my face. I wasn't sure how to act - what if the boy from dinner approached me again?

"What am I supposed to do here?" I hissed, softly stomping the blonde boy in the side. "They're all looking at me!"

Newt shrugged. "We could dance, I guess."

"I don't dance," I replied, biting my lip.

He smiled. "Me neither."

I looked around hesitantly, weighing the offer in my head. What were people going to think? I couldn't even recall having ever danced before - maybe I was a horrible dancer! I'd make an idiot out of myself. Then again, others would probably not bother me if I was with Newt.

"Sure then," I replied, grabbing his hand. Though Newt seemed a bit surprised at first, he let me drag him along, closer to the fire and the drums. I recognized one of the boys - Lennon, right? - who was playing one of the drums, and he excitedly waved when he saw us come his way.

I started to awkwardly move to the beat, my hands still attached to Newt's. As time passed, our moves became more fluent, flexible - we reacted to each other almost naturally. My cheeks reddened as some of the boys wolf-whistled, but Newt just laughed it off, twisting me around by my arm. He put his lips to my ear.

"I'm lucky," He whispered, a low chuckle escaping his lips.

"How come?"

He glanced around quickly, before meeting my eyes again. "Everyone's looking - wanting to dance with you. And here I am, doing exactly that."

I nervously smiled. "Don't make me regret it."

We danced a couple of minutes more, before others started to become a bit restless. Both out of breath, we stepped away from our previous spot, making place for the others to dance. Newt's cheeks were puffy and red, his hair sticking to his forehead with sweat. I probably looked the same.

"I could use a drink," I said, eyeing the little bar Frypan had set up. All kinds of beverages and snacks were presented on plates, making my stomach rumble - probably my lack of dinner. Newt nodded, leading me towards the bar.

"Want some more brew?" Frypan asked, slamming to jars onto the improvised counter - a wooden, poorly nailed board.

While Newt nodded, I shook my head. "Anything else."

Frypan laughed, pouring water from a small barrel into one jar, while pouring Gally's brew into the other. Newt chugged it all down in a couple of seconds, making me widen my eyes.

"Disgusting," I said, making him shrug.

"Probably, yeah," he grinned, putting his jar back onto the bar.

I quietly sipped from my water, leaning my back against the bar. I tried to overview what was happening around the bonfire, but something else caught my attention. A small crowd of boys had gathered, seemingly circling around something or someone.

"What's going on there?" I asked, slightly confused.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, following my gaze. "Little game of wrestling. Shanks're trying to defeat Gally."

I frowned. Gally had seemed so calm and quiet at dinner - wrestling didn't seem like something he would do. Especially not with a crowd of cheering boys surrounding him. "Trying?"

"Never been beaten. Minho probably could, but he thinks it's all klunk," Indeed, Minho was one of the only ones still sitting by the bonfire. He was talking to some boy I didn't know - I assumed he was a Runner also.

"What about you?" I asked, causing Newt to shoot me a questioning look. "Have you ever tried?"

Newt grinned. "Yeah, once. Was absolutely pissed, woke up with a bloody hangover and a bruised eye the morning after."

I started slowly walking towards the scene, but was stopped by Newt grabbing my wrist. He spun me back around, giving me a warning look. "You should probably not show up there. Guys love to push in the greenies."

I shrugged, harshly pulling my wrist out of his grip. I knew that he was probably right, but I had to stop acting like a sissy. I couldn't rely on Newt forever - or on anyone, really. I needed to be dependent on my self.

 _\- # -_

Newt had been absolutely right. The moment I tried to mix in with the cheering crowd, I got pushed to the front. As hard as I tried to stay in the middle, the boys dragged and pushed at me, even lifting me from the ground at some point. Suddenly, I was face to face with Gally.

He cracked his knuckles - a move to intimidate me. It worked. "She-bean wants a try, huh?" He said, before turning to the crowd. "What do you guys think? Should I rebuild that pretty face?"

My empathy for him immediately dropped. He had a lot of nerve, talking about me like that - like I wasn't even there. I tried to crack my knuckles too subtly, which only ended in me accidentally cracking my finger. I cringed, which Gally apparently took as a compliment, a smirk tugging at his lips. He brought his face close to mine, the smell of piss-brew immediately filling my nostrils.

I narrowed my eyes. "Get out of my face, shuckface."

At first, he looked a bit confused. Seconds after, he burst out laughing, the crowd following him. I stood there, perplexed, looking at boy, who was bending over and holding his stomach.

"You guys hear that? I'm a _shuckface,_ " he said, turning his back to me to address the boys behind him. He spread his arms theatrically, only to pull them back to catch his fall as I tackled him.

Though the guy was nearly twice my weight, the impact was enough to make him fall on the ground. My responsiveness wasn't that quick though, so I was on the ground with him only a couple of moments after. He was pinning my hands above my head with only one of his, keeping my hips in place by sitting on them. With the other hand, he grabbed the fabric of my shirt.

He looked around the crowd. "Should we see what's underneath there?"

The approving shouts made me twist my body, trying to escape his firm grip. His hand felt warm against my cool skin - I had to purse my lips together to not shout and scream in his face. Instead, I pulled up my knee, which ended right between his legs. The hand around my wrists immediately loosened, a chance I took: quickly, I pushed the bigger boy off of me.

I quickly wriggled out from underneath him, jumping to my feet as soon as I succeeded in doing so. My hair was a mess, my cheeks were red and there was sand in my mouth, but the boys were suddenly all cheering me on. I even saw Newt amongst them, who gave me the thumbs up. I was so busy smiling back at the crowd and inning some respect, I didn't see my opponent had already managed to get up again.

Before I knew it, I was spun around - suddenly facing a very angry Gally. I hadn't even seen him swing his fist, but the crack of my nose was a sickening sound. I brought my fingers to my face, hardly taking in anything that was happening. Something wet and warm flowed down my lips and chin, down my neck and into my shirt. I traced my fingers along the line of blood, leaving them red. I looked up at Gally - his expression was just as shocked as all the other ones in the crowd. As I collapsed he reached out to me, his hands only softly grasping my arm.

 _\- # -_

 _ **Hey-hey! How's everyone doing? As you can tell - our girl isn't doing too well. Already making friends with Gally, I see. Thanks to everyone who followed and favorited, keeping that motivation coming! BookRain, you're lucky to have a friend like Minho - his humor must be pretty on point. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Zoey24, thanks for your kind review :). Anyway guys, school has started again, which means a shit-ton of homework and stress. Though I don't have a plan for this story whatsoever, I think writing won't be a big issue. I'm glad people seem to be enjoying it so far. Until next time!**_

 _ **\- paperkite**_


	4. Chapter IV: Midnight Revelations

_\- # -_

 _ **Chapter IV**_

 _Midnight Revelations_

I didn't know what woke me up in the first place. I wasn't sure where I was - somewhere dark and silent. Twice in a day?

I stared at the ceiling as my eyes slowly got used to the darkness surrounding me. Squeezing my eyes together, I lifted my head. I could make out the outlines of my body in the dark, though barely. I was laying on something soft, a bed? I cautiously felt around, before knotting my hands into the thin sheets that hugged my body.

I sat up slowly, pulling the blankets up to my shoulders. Goosebumps appeared on my skin, though it wasn't that cold. Being alone again scared me a little - I had spend almost the whole day in company, only to be left on my own again. Everything before today I didn't even remember, but that didn't really scare me somehow. There must have been a solid reason for no one to remember anything. What if something horrible happened? What if _we_ had done something horrible? Suddenly, the idea of remembering didn't seem as appealing anymore as before.

I pulled my hands out from underneath the blanket, slowly reaching around - to no success. I furrowed my eyebrows as my fingers grabbed into thin air, everywhere around me. Where was I?

I scrunched up my nose in confusion, causing waves of pain to hit me right in the face. I let out a high-pitched screech, immediately bringing my hands to my face. I clawed at my nose, pulling the ragged bandage away from around my cheeks.

I faintly registered a light turning on on the other side of the room. A frustrated groan left my lips as my hands quickly explored my face - why had it been bandaged? My cheeks felt like little heaters, wetted by the tears coming from my eyes.

Something sticky made it's way down my chin, which I harshly wiped away with the back of my arm. My eyes widened at the swipe of red that was left behind, but I was pulled back when I tried to wipe it on the sheets.

Someone's hands were on my wrists. The boy - the gender I assumed, at least - who the hands belonged to, tugged at them softly, urging me to look up at him. "Calm down! What's with you?"

I didn't recognize the boy, but his company did calm me. At least I wasn't alone anymore. "Who are you? Where am I?" I asked, confusedly shaking my head at the situation. Curly strands of hair tickled and pricked my neck.

The boy chuckled softly. "Greenie sounds just like a greenie,'' he said, before sitting down on the bed beside me. Out of nowhere, he began to dab at my face with a smudgy piece of cloth. I was so astonished by the gesture that I didn't move, just awkwardly staring at the boy as he calmly cleaned my chin.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" I asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that hung between us.

A smile tugged at his lips. "Just doin' my job."

I shot him a questioning look, urging him to explain.

"I'm Jeff, one of the Med-Jacks. Clint's asleep - 's my turn tonight to watch the patients," he said, switching his gaze from my nose to my eyes. "Only you, fortunately. Otherwise you would have woken everyone else up."

"Sorry," I mumbled, looking at the palms of my hands, which were folded into my lap.

Jeff shrugged. "Nothing to be sorry for." He lowered the cloth, studying me - or my face. "That's going to look nasty for a while, greenie. Gally hit you pretty hard," he said, putting the cloth on the nightstand next to my bed.

I raised my eyebrows slightly. "Really? I can't exactly recall what happened."

"You and Gally fought - wrestled, sort of. Things were getting kind of out of hand when you kneed him in the family jewels-" Jeff said, a smile tugging at his lips thinking about what had happened. I could imagine it - the look on Gally's face would have been absolutely priceless. Then again, I felt kind of bad for him. He'd hear for months on end how he had been beaten up by a girl. How he had beaten up a _girl_.

"Is he doing okay?" I asked, trying to say it as casually as possible, even though I couldn't help but worry.

"Why would _you_ worry about that? The shuckface hit you pretty hard - he broke one of our rules," Jeff said, slightly shaking his head in disagreement. "If anyone should be worried, it should be him. He'll need to spend a fair amount of time in the Slammer."

"I hurt him first though," I said, looking up into the Med-Jack's confused eyes. "Self-defense, but still."

"Newt'll probably call a Gathering for this. Minho was furious, shanks had to stop him from hitting Gally."

"Really?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing together.

Jeff nodded almost unnotably. "Quite strange - Minho usually doesn't interfere with the wrestling. Even when people get as badly hurt as you."

"Hero's just searching to save a damsel in distress," I grinned at my own comment, which caused pain to well up in my nose. My hands flew up to my face, but were quickly pulled back by Jeff, who shot me a warning look.

"Don't touch your face. I'll get you a new bandage," he said, before standing up from the bed. While walking over to one of the cabinets, he looked over his shoulder. "And stay put, greenie-girl - what's your name?"

"I don't know," I said, shrugging.

The boy chuckled. "Yet, greenie."

I studied him as he searched the cabinets for a new bandage. He seemed short, though I was probably smaller than him. He had the same hair as mine - dark and fluffly, though his was more of a buzzcut while mine circled all around my face. Or skin colour was somewhat similar too - which made me wonder if we were related in some kind of way. Was anyone here related? Did we know each other before all this?

Why were we here?

\- # -

 _ **Hello loves! I feel like I'm on a roll here with the updates, so that's one good thing at least. I felt like putting this little scene between Jeff and our girl in here, because I absolutely love Jeff as a character. That boy deserves some lovin'. BookRain, yup, Gally was kind of an arse the last chapter. I'm not planning on portraying him all violent and reckless like they did in the movies (Books too? It's been so long since I read the books, my god), so he should be a bit nicer in the future. Zoey24, our guy Gally can be a bit merciless - the Gladers might put that guy in the Slammer forever. Oh well, we'll see about that in the next chapter. Also, glad you liked the little dance scene between them, it was really fun to write! highbythebeach & Dr .Lyell, thank you - glad you like the story! Until next time!**_

 _ **\- paperkite**_


	5. Chapter V: Wake Up Call

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter V_**

 _Wake Up Call_

Soft chatter filled my ears as I woke up. My eyes fluttered open, taking in my surroundings as I slowly regained my consciousness. White sheets stubbornly stuck to my body - I was covered in a thin layer of sweat. The morning sun flooded in through the window above my bed, warming my amber skin.

I sat up slowly, before beginning to peel the blankets off of me. I heard Jeff's soft voice - he was doing his best to keep quiet, so I wouldn't wake up. Alby stood beside him, nodding and mumbling approvingly every couple of seconds. He had a stern expression on his face, though he didn't seem to be really looking anywhere - at least not at Jeff. Whenever he hummed, it sounded like someone was strumming a bass guitar.

"Good morning," I said, the sleepiness dripping from my voice.

Both boys turned their heads to look at me, Jeff's expression turning bright while Alby's stayed earnest. "Good morning, greenie," he said, sounding caring - which made me smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I guess. As well as you can sleep with a wrecked nose," I answered, running my fingers across the bandage that covered part of my face.

"That thing still tight around your pretty lil' face? We need to keep pressure onto your nose - makes it heal better," Jeff said, tapping his own nose - which was quite sized, like someone glued half a lemon to his face.

"I think so, yes," I said, before shifting my gaze to the other boy. "Hello Alby."

The boy looked me in the eyes, nodding - his way of greeting, I guessed. After a couple of seconds of silence, I didn't think he was actually going to say anything. I was about to open my mouth to ask him why he was here, but he beat me to it.

"I'm here to talk about what happened last night," Alby said, his voice deep and serious. "If you mind, Jeff, could you leave us alone for a couple of minutes?"

The boy hesitantly nodded, shooting me one final look before leaving the hut. Instantly, the tension between Alby and I became much thicker. I had only seen him yesterday at the box and at dinner, but we hadn't spoken much - which was strange. He was the leader - wasn't he supposed to help me settle down in the Glade? I didn't like him much, which seemed to be a mutual feeling. From the look on his face, I could tell he didn't trust me.

He sat down on the rickety chair next to my bed. "How are you feeling?"

My teeth played with my bottom lip as I thought of an answer. I wasn't sure how I was feeling. The strange thing was that I could recall lots of feelings, but not having ever felt them.

"I'm okay," I said, subconsciously pulling at my curly hair. "Apart from the broken nose."

"I see," he mumbled, a small sigh leaving his lips. "Do you know what happened last night?"

"Jeff told me."

Alby slightly nodded. "I - and many other Gladers also - think that Gally needs to be punished for what he did."

"Okay."

"We'll be having a Gathering in a couple of days to decide what we'll do with him."

"And..?"

Alby scratched the back of his neck - nervously almost. "Usually, we banish a Glader that has broken one of our rules. Did Newt tell you?"

"Yes, but we can't-," I protested, but Alby interrupted me.

"I wanted to know your opinion on the situation before deciding myself."

This slightly relaxed me. I didn't want Gally to be banished - even if he broke one of the rules. The idea of a Banishment disgusted me, because why would yosend someone to their own death? Especially in a society like this - they needed all the people they got.u

"I do not want him to be banished. He doesn't deserve that."

"He _broke_ your nose - for no valid reason," he said, slightly lowering his voice. "Do you get that?"

"He had a valid reason, though. I attacked him first."

Alby raised his eyebrows. "Shanks said he tried to harass you - s'that true?"

"I don't think he was actually going to do that," I said, shaking my head. "I really don't think so."

"Why are you trying to defend him, greenie?"

I bit my lip, looking away. I didn't know why I was defending him. He had seemed so different at dinner yesterday, I just couldn't imagine him always being aggressive like that.

"I want to speak to him, if possible," I said, looking back at Alby.

"You think that'd be a good idea?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing together into a frown.

"It'll be okay. _I_ 'll be okay," I said, slightly narrowing my eyes. "I can take care of myself perfectly fine."

"Alright then. That's all I wanted to know."

 _\- # -_

 ** _... So this chapter is really short. I didn't really want to go from one thing from another, so I'll just leave this here and promise you guys a longer chapter for next time. Since I'm really tired, I don't really feel like replying to the reviews - sorry .. Next chapter: job trials! Until next time._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	6. Chapter VI: Endeavour

_\- # -_

 _ **Chapter VI**_

 _Endeavour_

When I opened the door of the Bloodhouse, the metallic smell of blood greeted me. The hut was bigger than the Med-Jacks', even came close to the size of the Homestead. Several burlap bags were piled in one of the corners - probably containing some sort of nutrition for the animals. Several hooks hung from the high ceiling with big pieces of meet hanging on them - a view not much to my liking.

I had to try my hardest not to gag at the sight of an in blood covered Winston, who stuck up his hand upon seeing me. "Good morning, greenie. Ready for today?"

I chuckled nervously. "Honestly? Not at all. Not in _whatsoever_ way."

Winston shrugged. "No problem - 's usual with the greenies. We'll take it easy."

I had to suppress a relieved sigh. Maybe I wouldn't have to behead some poor goat after all.

"Okay then," I said. "What should I do?"

"You could feed the animals - wrap 'em up in a blanket and cuddle after."

I rolled my eyes. "Really? Because I'm a girl?"

"You can also go pluck some dead chicken if you'd rather do that," he joked, pointing at the pile of bags after seeing my horrified expression. "Just fill up each tray, refill the water if necessary."

 _\- # -_

A thin layer of sweat coated my face as I dragged the sacks towards the animal pens. The evening sun burned down on the Glade mercilessly - not even the shadows could provide a cool place to rest. I wiped my forehead with the sleeve of my henley, which was starting to become damp also. I should probably put on a short-sleeved shirt after I had fed the animals.

I tried to bind my frizzy hair together with a piece of cloth, but to no success. The fabric snapped, instantly causing all my curls to pop out again. I groaned in frustration, cramming the improvised hair tie into the pockets of my jeans. Who took care of the hair in this place? There must be someone who took care of the afros and beards the boys grew here - none of them were extremely bushy (except for Fry maybe, who had hair sticking from each possible place).

Putting my hands on my hips, I stared down at the bags of food with narrowed eyes. How was I - with my chicken arms - ever going to get the food into the trays? My eyebrows furrowed together into a frown as I tried to think of a solution, but the heat made it impossible to form an idea in my head.

I knelt down by the first bag, which also happened to be the fullest. For the piggies - or I thought so, at least. I awkwardly wrapped my arms around, before gradually lifting it from the ground.

As I shakily and painfully slowly made my way over to the pigs' pen, I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

"Need some help? Gally put me on break."

I look over my shoulder - not the right thing to do. The movement causes the bag to swing around, dragging my body along with it. From where I lay on the ground, I looked up at a semi-confused Lennon. He scratched the back of his neck, trying to make something of the situation in his head.

"Yes, please," I answered. "I already hate working with the Slicers. And I haven't even slaughtered anything yet!"

"Wasn't my favourite as a greenie either. I was less lucky than you, though." He said, before offering me a hand - which I gladly took. I brushed some dirt off of my clothes after he pulled me up, before turning to look at the mess I had made in the grass. Apparently, the bag had been open. Grains were spread everywhere near the opening, and some dirt-covered tubers lay further off probably rolled away.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

He chuckled softly. "I had to take care of sheep intestines."

"Gross!" I said, pursing my lips together.

"Shucking gross, yeah! Luckily, Gally got me as a Builder."

"Not so lucky for Gally," I jokingly mumbled, gaining a soft punch to the shoulder from Lennon.

"Ha-ha, you're so funny," he said, grinning as I punched him back softly.

"I know, I know. But funny isn't going to help me get these bags anywhere," I said, before kneeling down and gathering the grains and tubers that had gotten out.

"True that, greenbean."

"I wished people would stop calling me that."

"Then what are we supposed to call you? Do you know your name yet?" I shook my head. "Anyway," he continued, "you won't be the greenie anymore when someone else comes up the Box. Got a little less than a month to go!"

I rolled my eyes. "It's kind of annoying. I feel like everyone's looking down on me."

Lennon shrugged. "I mean, we kind of are. You're the only girl here."

"So?" I said, putting my hand on my hip.

He theatrically pointed at the bags. "You can't even lift one of those!" He said, sinking back a little when he saw the look on my face. "The boys just think you're weaker - you can't do most of the work here."

"According to them," I added. "I think I could be a Runner." The comment had been a bit over-confident. I still thought of the Maze as some kind of nightmare land, but somehow I was curious to find out what lay beyond the walls.

"Greenie, your bravery is endearing. But you're not going to be a Runner."

"Why not?"

"They don't let greenies become Runners. You're selected - gotta make a good impression on Minho."

I rolled my eyes. "He's so full of himself. Besides, I don't think he likes me much."

"He's okay with ya - been nicer to you than to most greenies."

"Alright then ..", I said, my teeth playing with my bottom lip. I knew I hadn't had much of a chance to really talk to Minho yet, but I'd have to speak him sooner of later if I really was considering becoming a Runner.

Lennon turned to the bags, soon slinging one over his shoulder. He looked back at me. "Where to?"

 _\- # -_

 _ **Hi lovelies! Long time no write, eh? This chapter is a start on the job trials. I'm not sure if I want to go into each one in detail - is there a certain job you'd guys like to have her try out? Let me know in the reviews! BookRain, I would love to hear your opinion on things! We'll see about Gally and our girl sooner our later ;). So, I have good and bad news. Bad news: I'll be in Italy for a week from Sunday on, which means I won't have much (if any) time to write. But! Good news! I have chapter ideas/set-ups for the next four chapters, which should make it easier for me to write them. Please review/favourite/follow/eat a cookie! Until next time.**_

 _ **\- paperkite**_


	7. Chapter VII: Womanhunt

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter VII_**

 _Womanhunt_

As I finished filling up the trays, the sun was already beginning to set. Though Lennon had helped me out, our chatter had slowed us down a lot. One pair of Runners had already made their way back to the Glade - unfortunately not Minho and Newt. Though I was nervous to talk to them, I would have to if I was interested in becoming a Runner.

I dragged the last bag of today towards the final animal pen - the ram's. He was languidly chewing on some dry grass, while his dull eyes followed me everywhere I went.

"Hi there, bud," I mumbled, pushing the fence open with my free hand.

My comment didn't seem to make any sense to him. As I pulled the bag towards the tray, the ram sauntered over to me - nearly giving me a heartattack when he suddenly showed up by my side.

I pulled up an eyebrow, looking down at the animal. "Impatient, hm?"

In response, he nudged my shin with his nose. I grinned, nudging back with my leg. I shifted the bag on top of the tray's edge, slowly pushing it over. Grains started raining from the opening, making a clattering sound as they hit the metal surface.

I looked down when I felt something funny on my thigh. Slightly panicked, I roughly pushed the ram away from me with my leg. A piece of fabric from my pocket was missing - now in the animal's mouth. His gaze burned into my face as he scraped his hoof against the mud. Within the blink of an eye, I had dropped the bag - spilling all the grain still inside - and stumbled over to the fence.

A yell echoed through the Glade as I suddenly tripped, face-planting directly into the ground. I quickly looked over my shoulder as I scrambled to my feet. The ram was already quickly making his way over to where I lay only a moment ago. He did not look too happy. I couldn't help but wince, noticing the gigantic horns adorning his head.

I stumbled through the open gate, almost forgetting to turn back to close it. Only after I realized that, the ram had already made it's way past. My mind and legs didn't work together - I clumsily made my way out of the animals' pens.

Winston rounded the corner of the Bloodhouse, furrowing his eyebrows together in confusion as he saw me ran towards him.

"Wha-", he began, but I flew past him without listening. I threw a quick glance over my shoulder - the ram was gaining speed, while I was losing it. I silently scolded myself for having such a disastrous stamina.

I almost sighed in relieve when I caught sight of Newt and Minho in the distance, just as they jogged through the west door.

"Newt! Minho!" I shrieked, their heads snapping in my direction as they heard my voice. Both of them were bending over, heaving, trying to regain their breath. They raised their eyebrows in both confusion and amusement as they saw me flailing towards them.

Minho put his hands to his mouth, a wide grin appearing on his face. "Run, greenie!"

I think Newt noticed the reason of my rush, because he harshly jabbed Minho in the stomach and pointed at something behind me. Minho's eyes grew wide. I didn't dare look how close the ram was - I just kept running in their direction. My lungs began to burn, my chest going up and down rapidly. Short, ragged breaths left my lips, but I didn't have time to care about it. I just had to get away, and eyeing the green of the Deadheads, I got an idea.

"Greenie!" I heard Newt shout as I flew past the edge of the forest. Branches and twigs scratched my reddened cheeks, but the adrenaline coursing through my body allowed me to ignore the pain.

I hadn't been in the Deadheads before, and could imagine why. It was dark, even though it was a bright and sunny day. The forest had an eery atmosphere to it, the shadows of the trees making creepy figures.

I was getting too tired - I wouldn't be able to run much more. So I did the only thing I could think of.

 _\- # -_

The ram had lost it's interest in me as soon as I had scrambled up the tree. I wasn't sure where he went, but I couldn't see him from my spot up above anymore. I was kind of relieved that I had escaped, and a smug grin appeared on my face. _Ram: 0, me: 1._

But soon after, I realized I had to get down sometime. Minho and Newt had probably gone looking for me, or at least told the other Gladers that I went into the Deadheads. Newt knew that I had never been here before, so it was only logical to think that I had gotten lost. They would come looking for me, right?

But how would they find me if I were up in here? They sure wouldn't waste their time looking up every tree they passed. I had to get out, and I had no idea how. Jumping certainly wasn't an option - I had climbed way too high. I cursed at myself for not keeping my calm before. I winced as I looked down. I had climbed up at least 20ft up.

I kept peering down, trying to gather the courage to climb down. My eyes widened as I heard the faint sound of crunching leafs and snapping twigs. Someone was coming closer to where I was.

"Hello?" I half whispered, half yelled.

I stiffened when Gally appeared underneath the tree. Quickly pushing myself back against the trunk, I prayed that he hadn't seen me. I definitely didn't want to be a damsel in distress with him around.

Unfortunately, my prayers weren't heard. "Greenie? What are you doing up there?"

Though I relaxed slightly at the soft tone in his voice, I still didn't show my face - though I did glance down. "Ehm.. Just hanging out? No problems here. What are _you_ doing here?"

A small smile appeared on his face. "You're a horrible liar. Just gathering some wood for the Builders. Do you need help?"

I bit my lip as I made myself visible, kneeling down on the branch I had previously been balancing on. He pulled up his eyebrows upon seeing me, a sight I would have laughed at if we hadn't been in a situation like this - he had noticed the bandage around my face. "Shuck, greenie, I beat ya up this badly? I wanted to tell you yesterday, that I'm sorry, but they wouldn't let me into the Med-Jacks'. But I am"-

Though I appreciated his apology, I was getting a bit frustrated. "Gally, really, it's okay"-

He shook his head furiously. "No, no it's not. I shouldn't have"-

"Gally, just get me out of here, please!" I groaned. "You shouldn't have indeed, but that's not the problem right now."

"Okay, I'll come up to get ya."

He put his feet on a lower branch, causing it to make a painful, creaking sound. It could barely keep his weight. If other ones would snap, he'd fall. And then we both would be having problems.

"I don't think that's a good idea - the branches are kind of thin at the bottom. You won't get up."

He nodded slowly, before putting both feet back on the ground. I slightly panicked when he started to walk away. "Where are you going?"

He looked over his shoulder. "Gonna get a ladder. You stay up there!"

I smiled and gave him the thumbs up. My eyes followed him until he disappeared between the trees and plants. Somehow, I was kind of surprised to see him like this. Especially when he had seemed so uncontrollable and aggressive during the bonfire party. I was glad that he had showed this side to him - I didn't have to be scared of him.

I sat back down on the thick branch supporting my weight, dangling my legs on either side. I leaned my head back against the bark of the tree and closed my eyes, enjoying the coolness of the forest. From up here - even though the height was still terrifying - it was much less scary. It felt freshening to be here, not surrounded by the boys all the time. They were loud and took every opportunity they got to tell me how nice my chest and behind looked. They couldn't bother me here.

The breeze was nice after working in the burning sun all day. It made the leafs rustle and rippled through my clothes, gradually cooling both me and the Glade down. It wasn't cold either, just incredibly pleasant. Then, the situation didn't seem as bad as it had seemed before.

I instantly pulled up my legs - causing me to almost fall out of the tree - upon hearing a twig snap. I almost laughed at my own jumpiness when I realized it was probably just Gally.

"Hey!" I shouted as I peered down.

A face came into my view - but not Gally's.

"Ah, little monkey's over here!" A very amused Minho shouted back, before exuberantly waving with both arms.

I rolled my eyes and groaned. Out of all people in the Glade, exactly _he_ had to be the one to find me here.

"Go away Minho!" I shouted, making a gesture to strengthen my words. "Gally's getting help."

It almost scared me how quickly his expression changed. He narrowed his eyes, looking around. "I'm not seeing the shuckface around here. Did he just _leave_ you here by yourself?" He spat the last words. I remembered what Jeff had told me last night - Minho had been furious with Gally hitting me.

"It's okay, I don't mind. It's not like anything can happen to me up here," I said, shrugging to make it sound more casual.

"Where did he go?"

"He's getting a ladder."

Minho threw his arms up in frustration. "I'm coming to get you."

"No you're not!" I shouted - I really didn't want him to help me. I had thought it was bad to be a damsel in distress with Gally around, but with Minho, it felt even worse to be in trouble.

"Right now," he said, a smug grin tugging at his lips.

"Minho!"

He was already making his way up, swiftly placing his feet and hands on the right spots. He acted as if he didn't hear me. "On my way!"

" _Minho_!"

Before I knew it, he was by my side, pretending to straighten his shirt and pants. He was so close - I could see small drops of sweat on his forehead, and grains of dust and sand in his perfect dark hair.

"Shuck, greenie, impatient one y'are," he said, putting his arm securely around me. I shot daggers at him and tried to pry his hand off of my waist, but he wouldn't budge. He just laughed. "Let's get you down, hm?"

I shook my head. "I told Gally I'd wait up here. I don't want him to come back for nothing."

"C'mon greenie, he wouldn't care. He wants you to be safe down too." His voice softened. "Let me help you."

I looked into his eyes. They seemed sincere for once, and I trusted him this once. "Alright then."

Within minutes, he had helped me down the tree. When needed, he whispered instructions to me and supported me with his arm, ever so slightly squeezing my waist - making his muscles bulge, which I could even feel through the fabric of his shirt. I really hoped he hadn't seen me blush.

When we were both safely on the ground, he let go of me, before turning to look at me. "See? Not that difficult. Now don't go climbing trees at random again - can't save your shucking ass all the time."

I rolled my eyes, but also grinned. "Sure, sure. I'll be sure to warn you whenever I feel like going on an adventure again."

He cracked a smile. "I'll go on an adventure with you. How about that?"

"Does the almighty Keeper of the Runners even have time for that?"

Minho huffed. "I always have time for adventures."

"Sappy, much?"

We both grinned at my comment, but the sound of someone scraping their throat made us both turn around.

Gally stood a couple of feet away from us, a ladder clutched underneath his arm. I felt heat rise to my cheeks - guilt boiled up in my stomach. He had done so much effort, only to find me already down.

He tried hard to hide his embarrassment, but I could see it on his face as he spoke. "Already down, hm?" His gaze shifted to Minho, who once again, had a smirk plastered to his face. "We really didn't need your help."

"Go cry about it, shank," Minho said, before turning to me and grabbing my wrist. "Let's go, greenie. Can't leave the others worried 'bout ya."

As Minho dragged me behind him, I threw a glance over my shoulder. Gally looked a little lost, standing alone with the ladder still under his arm. My eyes softened as I mouthed an apology to him. He shrugged, a sad smile distorting his face.

And at that moment, I didn't think I could ever get over the guilt of how miserable he looked.

 _\- #-_

 ** _Hey everyone! Sorry for not writing for so long, I hope this chapter makes up for it. Guest, I'm doing my best! Glad you're enjoying the story so far! BookRain, thank you for the suggestions - I think they're suitable for her too. You should definitely visit Italy if you get the opportunity, it's absolutely beautiful! The snacks are amazing too :). Sparksofrandomness and minstorai, thank you guys! Not sure when I'll be updating, but I've already got ideas for the next chapter (so it should be pretty soon ;) ...). Until next time._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	8. Chapter VIII: Broken Boy

_**Hey! I didn't know why, but I felt like putting an author's note at the start of the chapter. I just realized how slow this story is moving - this chapter covers her second night in the Glade, while were already at chapter 8. Oh well.. in a couple of chapters the pace should be picking up. thepandabella you're totally right about her being a bit cliché the last chapter, but I guess that the way they depend on the Gladers in the beginning is what makes a greenie a greenie. But no worries, I plan on our girl to be a fierce, independent lady! Zoey24 and minstorai, I'm so happy you like the chemistry between Minho and her. You don't even know how hard I'm trying to get chemistry between them :). Tomessiah, thanks! Hope y'all enjoy this chapter!**_

 _\- # -_

 ** _Chapter VIII_**

 _Broken Boy_

I had a hard time falling asleep.

I had no idea what time it was - but I knew that it had to be late since most boys had already extinguished the torches near their hammocks. There had been slight discussion about where I would be sleeping tonight. Though Newt had argued that it wouldn't be smart to let me sleep amongst the other guys, Alby decided that he didn't want a fuss about him favoring me above the rest. I was okay with sleeping outside in a hammock - falling asleep underneath the stars every night wasn't something I wouldn't enjoy. Though the boys had tried to mess with me at first, they lost their interest when I kept ignoring them.

And even though it was a beautiful and starry night, I couldn't fall asleep. Yesterday it hadn't been as hard; the painkillers Jeff had given me made me incredibly sleepy. I'd have to keep the bandage around my nose for a while, but I didn't need any more medicine to keep me from experiencing incredible pain. I still wanted to chat with Lennon and Christian, who had moved their hammocks nearer to mine to keep me company, but Alby had sworn that if he heard anyone talk anymore, he'd personally cut their vocal cords. And when I tried to get their attention, I learned both of them were already fast asleep.

After a long while, my torch was the only one still burning.

I leaned over to extinguish mine too, but a sound from inside the Homestead caught my attention. Newt had insisted that I slept near the Homestead, so the Keepers could reach me easily if something happened. My eyebrows furrowed together into a frown as I sat up. I closed my eyes and focused on my hearing - but silence had once again struck the Glade.

I shrugged and made a move to pull my blanket over my body again, when I heard the sound again.

I looked around to see if anyone else had heard the sound, but no one else but me seemed to be awake. Slowly, I swept my feet over the edge of the hammock. Goosebumps appeared on my skin as the cold air hit my bare legs. The dewed grass tickled in between my toes as I sneaked towards the entrance of the Homestead. I tried to turn the door handle, but it wouldn't budge - locked. From here, I recognized the sound as pained whimpers. Hurriedly, I looked around for some kind of key, but with no success.

I tiptoed around the building, silently cheering when I found an open window. It was left slightly ajar - not big enough for me to climb through. Slowly, I opened it further, freezing in place when it loudly creaked. I reached inside with one hand and pulled away the dusty curtains blocking my view. Someone - a Keeper - was sound asleep in a bed in the corner of the room. I would have to pass him to get to the door, which was something I definitely did not look forward to. But then I remembered my mission - someone in there was in trouble.

Pushing the window open more, I created a creek big enough for me to climb through. Once fully in the room, I couldn't help but look around a little. Newt had told me that only the Keepers and the wounded got to sleep in a bed inside, the Keepers even having their own rooms. This one had a table and chair (filled with papers and pens, in this case), a cupboard and a bed. I crept over to the bed, and immediately stalked backwards when I saw who was sleeping inside. A thin thread of saliva hung from Minho's mouth, while he was sprawled out over the bed. Honestly, he looked really cute asleep. He slept so deeply - probably exhausted from running the whole day. I didn't know how he did that every day.

I quickly exited the room and looked around, trying to pick up where the whimpering was coming from. The sound was nearby now, and as I walked by one of the doors, a board creaked under my weight. I froze in position, and the sounds suddenly stopped. Hesitantly, I walked over to the door nearest to where I stood and pushed it open.

At first, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. But when I turned to the bed to look whose room I was in, my eyes widened. Pushed up against the wall sat Newt, his eyes big and blood-shot. Though there was a couple of feet between us, I could see he was shaking. His lips were trembling, trying to hold in the whimpers and sobs I had heard before.

"Newt? What happened?" I asked as I neared the bed.

He shook his head, making incoherent gestures with his hands. He said something, but I couldn't hear him. His voice wasn't the usual bubbly - it was barely a croak, having lost all it's cheeriness.

"What?" I whispered, slowly sitting down on the bed.

"Go away." His voice broke, and he hid his face as a whimper left his lips.

"No, Newt, I'm not going away. What's going on?" I asked, reaching out my hand to take his. He tried to pull his hand out of my grip, but gave in when I wouldn't let go.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't..", he mumbled, taking in short breaths. His cheeks were stained with dried up tears, but new ones began to well up in his eyes already.

"Did you have a nightmare?" I rubbed my thumb over his fingers reassuringly, begging him to look at me. It made me a bit uncomfortable, seeing the second most important person in the Glade this vulnerable.

"I don't know," he said, his head still turned away from me. I put my hand in my sleeve as I tried to wipe some of the sweat and tears from his face. Suddenly, he turned to me. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," I said, putting some strands of his hair behind his ear. "I heard you."

An even more panicked expression appeared on his face. "Did anyone else hear?" He squeezed my hand harshly when I didn't respond, confused at his question. "Did someone hear?"

I shook my head. "I don't know Newt, I don't think so."

"Okay," he nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Did something happen?"

He slumped further against the wall. "I just - I woke up, and it was dark, and suddenly I was.. scared."

I pulled my legs onto the bed and crawled to the empty spot in front of him.

"It's so bloody stupid," he continued. "I'm just so stupid." More tears fell from his eyes - my sleeves were already soaking with them.

"You're not stupid, Newt."

"But look at me!" He spat, anger mixing in with his fear. "I'm a mess. I'm a shucking mess."

"You're not a mess either. You're a leader - everyone here looks up to you."

He roughly pulled his hand out of mine. "And _how_ could you know? _How_? You've only been here for two shucking days. I've been here for a _year_! You don't know anything about me, or about anyone."

"Newt-" I began, but he cut me off.

"Stop doing that! Stop acting like you care!" His nails dug into his own skin, leaving scratches on his arms. "Just leave. I told you to leave!" His eyes flooded, and his breaths were ragged. His runny nose prevented him from breathing normally.

I had to calm him down in some way. If he'd go on like this, he'd wake up everyone in the Glade. "Hey," I said, grabbing his chin so he looked at me. "I need you to focus on one thing at a time. It's going to be okay, okay?"

He couldn't talk - all he could do was sob and nod. His breathing quickened. He looked up at me, panicked. "What's happening? What's _happening_?"

He was on the verge of hyperventilating, and even I began to become a bit panicked now. But if I showed him that, he'd lose all hope in the situation. I took a deep breath, before cupping Newt's cheeks in my hands - forcing him to look at me.

"Hey, _hey_ , it's okay. Look at me, my eyes - what color are they?"

Through his tears and fear, I detected a slight hint of surprise. But I had his attention - his blue eyes were looking right into mine.

"They're brown. Really nice brown, like.. like almost black. They're really dark, but then.. around the middle, they have these lighter dots - gold." He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. I was about to ask him another question, but he kept talking by himself.

"And your face. Your face - you have so many freckles. Which is.. which is strange, because you have a dark skin. But not as dark as Alby's, but more - more like a really warm mocha. It's really nice, and smooth." He reached up to touch my cheek, before reaching to my hair. He pulled at one of my curls. "Your hair is so bloody curly, and really wild. But in a good way, it looks good."

His comment made me blush, but he didn't seem to see that in the dark. He dropped his hand from my face, and I almost made a sound at the sudden loss of contact.

I rubbed my thumbs over his cheeks to dry them. It was silent between us for a while, but in a comfortable way. He studied my face as I cleaned his face as best as I could with my shirt.

After a couple of minutes, I broke the silence. "You should probably go to sleep."

He nodded slowly, still sniffing a bit. "What about you? You need to sleep too - it's late."

"I will."

He looked a bit confused when I didn't stand up. "Aren't you going to go back to your hammock?"

I shrugged, smiling slightly. "Too lazy."

Truth was, I didn't want to leave him on his own now. He had been so upset and scared - I didn't want him to have to spend the rest of the night alone. Especially since he had seemed such a strong and happy person the past two days, I was a bit worried about him after seeing him like this.

He grinned, which sounded weird a bit weird with his runny nose and raw throat, but it was still a delightful sound. He laid down slowly and pulled the blankets over his body.

"Thank you," he whispered, before closing his eyes.

I slid my fingers in between his, and this time, he didn't pull back.

 _\- # -_

 ** _I'm on a roll guys! So I'm not sure what to say about this chapter. I really liked writing it :). So I was trying to describe Newt having a panic attack, but honestly, I have no idea if this really captures it. I've never experienced one, nor have ever seen anyone experiencing one. Google had to help me with this.. Fair amount of greenie/Newt time in this chapter *wiggles eyebrows*. Any of you guys already shipping? Tell me your ship names and/or the reason why you ship her with someone! Not sure if I'm gonna overload this story with romance, but if so - it shouldn't be until many, many_ _chapters ahead. I've seen a lot of fanfics with rushed romance, which I personally find incredibly annoying and unrealistic.. Enough blabbering. Until next time!_  
**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	9. Chapter IX: Remembrance

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter IX_**

 _Remembrance_

Sunlight crept through the small crack between the curtains. Birds of all kinds were exchanging calls, forming a song which carried throughout the Glade. It was a peaceful morning, like any other really. A smile crept onto my still half-asleep face, but soon after, my eyebrows furrowed into a frown. Something was tickling my neck.

Someone's _breath_ was tickling my neck.

I opened my eyes, slowly turning my head to take in my surroundings. I was.. in a bed? In a room? But didn't I sleep outside, in a hammock? My cheeks reddened when I recalled what had happened the night before.

Newt was still asleep, his face only inches away from mine. His breaths were deep and steady, and everytime he breathed out, a pluck of his blonde hair flew up - before falling onto his forehead again. And all the while, _I was in his bed._

I untangled my fingers from Newt's, which was quite a task since he held on tightly to my hand - before pulling both of my hands through my hair and tying it together into something that one could consider to be a bun.

I leaned my head in my hands. _Now you've done it, Harper._

My mouth fell open in astonishment. I was almost going to ask myself who the name belonged to, but that would've been really stupid. Why would I remember any other name, except for mine?

"Harper," I whispered. It was definitely my name, it sounded so normal to me when I heard it out loud, because it wasn't just any girl's name - it was mine! I had a name! Though it had been a bit dumb to consider, I had been a bit afraid the past two days that I would never remember my name. That I'd never know anything about my identity, except for the way I looked.

I turned to Newt, still wide-eyed with excitement. "Newt! Wake up!" I said, gently shaking his shoulder.

Though it stayed silent for a couple of seconds, a groan soon erupted from underneath me. "Hm.. hm? What are you doing here, greenie? Bloody hell.."

"I'm not _greenie_ anymore, now! My name's Harper!"

"And that's what you gotta wake me up for so early in the morning..", he said, grinning when he saw my semi-offended expression. "Kidding, greenbean-"

"Harper."

He sat up, rubbing his eyes with his hands. "You're still a greenie. Until the next one comes up the Box," I rolled my eyes, softly punching his shoulder. "But - _Harper_ \- what are you doing here?"

I bit my lip, looking down at my hands, which were folded into my lap. "Last night.. remember what happened?"

Slowly, I looked back up. The colour had drained from his face. "You can't tell anyone that happened, alright? It'll be the bloody death of me."

I frowned. "Why not?"

"It's not your business," he muttered, holding my gaze with his.

"Well.." I said, hesitantly. "If anything like this ever happens again, you can talk to me. Maybe that'll help the smallest bit."

"Thank you," he said, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "Could you see what time it is? My watch is on the night stand."

I leaned over from where I sat to see. "It's almost ten o'clock. Why?" A string of curses left Newt's lips as he threw the blanket off of his body - which was only half-covered, _oh my god_ \- and scrambled over to his closet. My eyes widened as I realized something. "Aren't you supposed to be running-"

"No, no, it's not that," he said, quickly throwing on some clothes. "The Gathering's at ten."

"And why didn't _I_ know that?" I groaned, stretching my arms.

He ignored my question. "Get ready, greenie." Throwing some clothes in my direction, he dashed out of the bedroom, leaving me stunned.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Hey guys! I know, I know, really short chapter. But I wanted to get at least a little something up, because I'm not sure how much I can write this week. Hope you guys liked this little thing between Newt and our girl - who finally has a name! Harper! I think it's pretty obvious who she's named after, so what I'm more curious about, is what you guys think her original name could be. I had a couple of things in mind, but I'm not sure if I'm ever going to bring it up in the story. I do have a couple of other exciting things planned for the future, which should be pretty good! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Until next time._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	10. Chapter X: The Gathering

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter X_**

 _The Gathering_

"We have gathered here today to decide on the fate of our one and only greenie girl-"

"Harper."

Alby shot a pissed-off look in my direction, causing me to shrink into my seat, before continuing his monologue. "And Gally, who allegedly harassed and mistreated her."

It was dead silent in the Homestead as Alby went on about how no one should ever try to challenge or break the rules. All the Keepers were looking at him, almost mesmerized by what he had to say. Gally was sat on the other side of the room - did they really think he'd attack me again? - looking very ashamed of himself. Minho stood near to him, leaning against the window frame. I hoped Gally didn't see the nasty look on the Asian boy's face - he'd probably wet his pants.

I pretended not to notice the way he was staring at me whenever he wasn't beating Gally up with his eyes.

To my left sat a boy whose name I didn't know, but recognized as the Keeper of the Baggers. Newt was to my right, insisting he'd sit next to me. His leg bobbed up and down as his gaze was fixed on Alby, who was still ranting - making wild gestures with his arms.

"- and following our usual protocol, we will have to banish him." The leader finished, his eyes now on my face.

The room - which had been completely still before - now shoke with the uproaring Keepers.

"You can't just -"

"He deserves -"

"Slinthead's gotta -"

Alby slammed both his fists on the table, causing everyone to become silent immediately. His gaze burned holes through everyone's head as he looked around the circle. "The rules, shanks. Which we established at the beginning, to prevent things like this from happening. Breaking the rules leads to banishment. We all agreed to that!"

Though I didn't know what he was talking about exactly, none of the Keepers objected to what he said. He was right - a banishment was what would happen if one should break the rules. But it was morally wrong. Gally did not deserve to be banished.

I stood up from my chair, surprising everyone around me, and shook my head. "He shouldn't be banished."

"Sit back down," Alby said, narrowing his eyes. "What makes you think you can object?"

"Because I'm the victim?" I hesitantly said, ignoring his command. "I thought this Gathering was about me too?"

"Do you think, greenie, that you can just pop out of that Box, walk up here and tell _me_ that there is something wrong with what we have arranged? What we have build up since we've been here?" Alby said as he leaned over the table, bringing his face closer to mine. The anger in his eyes caused my lips to tremble as I searched for words.

The room stayed dead silent, everyone's eyes on the two of us.

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I don't want him to be banished, because he's a good person. How I experienced it - he acted out of shame and panic, not out of aggression," I said, glancing at Gally slightly. Though his posture still seemed tense, his face looked slightly relieved by my words - which encouraged me to say more. "I provoked the attack. I mean, I attacked him first."

I heard some of the Keepers snigger, and saw Gally's face turn red. I shot daggers at the laughing boys, and they avoided my gaze as soon as they saw me looking.

Alby huffed. "He's over it. You'll have to walk around with this" - he tapped his nose, referring to my bandage - "for a while. If anyone deserves to be banished in this situation, it's him."

"Yeah, and I'll get over it too. What do you think I am?" I said. Now I was the one narrowing my eyes, and Alby the one taking a step back. "Do you think I'm _weak_? That I'm not good enough for you?"

"No one has ever said anything about you being weak."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not _stupid_. I see the way the boys look at me, like I'm some sort of joke. Like I'm a mistake made by the people who put us in here - the _Creators_?"

"And what did you expect, shuckette, that we'd just accept you into the group. You're different from any of us - you're a _girl_. Don't think that we know how to handle you."

Suddenly, the discussion wasn't about Gally's punishment anymore. It was about _me_. Though I had been angry before, him talking to me like this made me furious. Newt must have seen it, because he stood up as well.

"Guys, I think -" He said, trying to interfere, but I cut him off immediately.

"Shut it, Newt," I said, though not turning to look at him. In the corner of my eye, I saw him sit back down. "This is between me and Alby." I turned towards the rest of the boys. "Unless any of you would like to say anything in my defense?"

Some of the boys looked hesitant, like they might've actually said something if it hadn't been for Alby threatening them with his gaze. Gally looked down, avoiding my gaze. Newt looked frustrated, wanting to say something to help me, but also not wanting to upset me more. Minho just looked very amused, leaning back with his arms crossed in front of his chest and this smug grin sticking to his face.

"That's what I thought," I said, before turning to Alby, who had lost all the patience he had. A permanent frown was plastered to his face, and his eyes were filled with fire. "Well, _leader_ , I think you're acting absolutely ridiculous."

Suddenly, Alby grabbed my shoulders, almost dragging me over the table. His face was only inches apart from mine, and I could see the small veins in his eyes trembling. "You need to have some respect."

I roughly pulled his hands off of my shoulders before taking a couple of steps backwards, away from the table. "You need to earn some respect," I said, clenching my jaw. "I'm done here."

And with that, I walked out of the Homestead.

 _\- # -_

 ** _And that's what you get when you mess with our girl. So, things escalated pretty quickly here. What do you guys think Alby is going to do? Apologize, or keep the tension between them? Leave your thoughts in the reviews! No worries, Blankminds. She's named after Harper Lee :). Kinn Kyougoku, what an honour! I'm glad you like the story so far. I have to disagree with you on your thoughts on Gally, though - I think his actions are quite realistic for the situation he was in. (LITTLE BITS OF SPOILERS HERE) His hate for Thomas is logical - he was afraid of him because all of the things he had done to them. On top of that, some of his actions were controlled by WICKED. He did apologize later on and helped the Gladers in the third book. Of course, all of that isn't an excuse for his behaviour. It really sucked in the movie how they portrayed Gally as a bad guy - like he had no valid reason whatsoever to hate Thomas. (END OF SPOILERS) Guys - actually - tell me in the reviews what your opinion on Gally is! I'd also love to know who your favourite / least favourite characters are, and why. And if you're really feeling it, tell me what you think about our girl. Do you like her? Or not? AND WHY? I'd love to have some ideas on her, her relationships with other characters and the storyline from you guys. _**

_**Another thing I'd like to inform you about: I'm looking for a beta-reader! If any of you are interested, please PM me. I'll look over your beta-reader profile and decide if you're right for this story :). On another note, I'm available as beta-reader as well. If you're looking for one, please visit my profile for more information.**_

 ** _Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	11. Chapter XI: Aftermath

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XI_**

 _Aftermath_

The days following the Gathering, I avoided talking to Newt and Alby as much as possible. Though I had realized that I probably shouldn't have said the things I had said, I still was angry at what the leader had said. Apologizing seemed right in my case, but I didn't want to give Alby the satisfaction of winning this discussion. He should've at least considered my words - _me_.

At dinner, I sat with Lennon and Christian. They had felt a certain tension between me and the Keepers since I didn't sit with them like I had the evenings before the Gathering, and even though they asked me questions at first, they quickly dropped the subject when I'd give them short and blunt replies.

Some evenings, Minho would join us. All of us found it a bit strange that he ditched the other Keepers to sit with us, but no one was really complaining. His sense of humour cheered all of us up after a long day of work, even though he was always the most tired out of us four.

One evening, he reached our usual table before Lennon and Christian did, and sat next to me. He looked a bit hesitant, a look I had never seen on his face before - I only knew him as confident and witty.

He turned to me, suddenly all serious. "I think it's brave what you did there at the Gathering - but stupid too."

"Almost thought you were going to give me an actual compliment," I said, gazing at the mash on my plate while pricking at it with my fork.

He held up his hands, bringing his fingers together until only a tiny gap was left between them. "Almost," he said, his eyes squeezing together as he chuckled. "But seriously though, Alby's face after you walked out was _priceless_. Never seen anything like it."

"Good for him," I mumbled, glancing in the direction where the Keepers were usually seated. I almost fell of the bench, because to my surprise, Newt was looking right at me.

Minho saw me jolt back, and turned his gaze to where mine had been only a moment before. A smug grin appeared on his face as he turned back to me. "Loverboy's been looking at ya, hm? Been crazy about you ever since the Gathering."

"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows together into a frown.

"Slinthead's always asking me how you're doing, such stuff. Guess he feels a bit guilty about not interfering."

I huffed. "Yeah, well - at least he tried to. You didn't do anything."

He grinned. "What'd you expect me to do? I had some good entertainment."

His comment had made me so angry, though it was something very Minho to say. I didn't know what I could've expected either - it wasn't like we were friends. Why would he even have considered helping me if there wasn't anything in it for him?

"My god, Minho, you're such an _ass_." I had picked up my plate and left - fuming almost - leaving Minho stunned.

I hadn't talked to him either since, because I didn't eat my dinner at the tables anymore. The tension was just too much, and now I had two pairs of eyes burning into the back of my head instead of one. Now, I just left the area as soon as my had my food and ate it as I softly swung back and forth in my hammock. No one dared to follow, so I could enjoy dinner in peace.

Fortunately, today was the last day of job trials. Until now, I had been able to avoid Newt most of the time. I didn't even have to do my best to avoid Alby - he didn't even try to talk to me. It bothered me a bit that he hadn't gotten back to me about what had happened at the Gathering, but at the same time - he hadn't banished Gally, which would have happened in the past couple of days if he would've completely ignored my words. Newt though, he took every opportunity he had to chat with me. I knew that he didn't do anything wrong - he tried to interfere, maybe he would've even helped me if I had let him - but I was too upset and ashamed to let him in.

I spent my last day of job trials with the Med-Jacks, which was nice. Jeff I already knew, and he introduced me to the other Med-Jack, whose name was Clint. Both of them did their best to make me feel comfortable, especially since Clint knew what had happened at the Gathering. They gave me fairly basic tasks, like cleaning up the cabinets and running through the medicine stock, but also bandaging one of the Cooks who had accidentally cut his hand.

The sun was beginning to set as I finished up reordering some of the cabinets. I was surprised by the Med-Jacks' knowledge of health and medicine. They told me that they had learned that from the books that had been send up over time. Both of them were very modest about their abilities, but I was very impressed by everything they had done. They were able to make sure that broken bones healed, and they could even stitch up big cuts. On top of that, they were able to make ointments and creams out of herbs that could be found in the Glade.

As I put the last couple of jars inside a cabinet, the door slowly opened. I didn't bother looking over my shoulder: I knew either Clint or Jeff would help the person that came in, and indeed - Jeff hurried over to the door to assist whoever just stumbled in. Quietly, he talked to whoever was at the door, and even though I tried my hardest to eavesdrop a bit, I couldn't make out what they were saying nor who Jeff was talking to. I closed the cabinet before turning around, ready to ask Jeff if I was allowed to leave. My eyes widened when I saw who were at the door.

Newt had his arm around Minho's shoulder, seemingly clinging on to the other boy. He had a slightly pained look on his face as he nodded at what Jeff said. Though Minho's face didn't say much, I detected a slight hint of worry. Anyone could tell that they were friends - best friends even. It amused me that they were, because both boys had such a different personality. Or so I thought, because as I thought of it, I realized that a lot of their characteristics were the same. Both were caring - though Newt showed it a bit more than Minho - and helpful. Their sense of humour was different, but both had their funny moments every now and then.

I was brought back to reality when I noticed Minho looking in my direction. My cheeks reddened when I realized for how long I had been staring at them, and quickly turned away, pretending to search for something in the cabinet.

Unfortunately, Minho didn't let me go this easily. "Harper! Hey!"

I clenched my jaw, ignoring him as I gazed into the cabinet. In the corner of my eye I saw Newt turn his head in my direction. Jeff turned around too, a slightly panicky look appearing on his face. Clint had told him what happened at the Gathering, and fortunately, he had sided with me. He could never have foreseen that exactly these two would visit the Med-Jacks on this exact day.

"Hey," Newt said, his voice a mix of hesitancy and hope.

"Hi," I replied bluntly, not shifting my gaze.

I realized that I had been staring into the cabinet for way too long now, so I moved over to one of the comfortable chairs that were sat besides the beds for visitors. On the nightstand lay a book about plants, which I picked up and pretended to read.

My leg bobbed up and down as I waited for them to leave, but unfortunately - to my horror - the three of them moved over to where I sat. I shifted slightly in my chair, but didn't try to show them my discomfort.

The bed creaked under his weight as Newt sat down, grunting slightly when he put both feet to the ground. I curiously peered over the pages to see what was wrong. I winced when Jeff pulled off one of Newt's running shoes - his left foot was extremely swollen and nearly purple.

Minho grinned when he saw my reaction. "Looking bad, eh?"

Ignoring his comment, I moved my eyes back to the book. There were many pictures of plants I didn't recognize, with long and foreign names written underneath them. I tried my hardest to act interested in the book, but the frown on my face didn't convince anyone.

"Harper, could you.. - could you maybe support Newt's foot while I look for something to bandage it with?" He asked, an uncomfortable expression on his face. He could probably feel the tension in the air, and I didn't blame him from trying to get away from the situation. I nodded, putting away the book before moving over to where Jeff had been.

The only sound filling up the room was Jeff rummaging through some cabinets in the background. An awkward silence hung between us, and I tried my hardest to focus on something other than them. Which was fairly hard, considering both of their gazes were burning into my head.

"I really don't get your shucking problem," Minho suddenly spat.

My head snapped in his direction. "You are, partially," I hissed, narrowing my eyes.

"When this past week did you suddenly grow balls and decided to stand up for yourself?" He asked, pulling up an eyebrow. "Annoying, honestly."

"Since no one stood up for me at the Gathering, hm? Remember?"

"I bloody tried to, but you wouldn't let me," Newt mumbled, avoiding my gaze when I turned to look at him. Heat rose to my cheeks when I realized that he actually did try to help me.

I sighed and shook my head, curls flying around my face. "Alby frustrates me so much, _already_. I'm sorry, Newt, but I didn't want him to think that I was weak. I mean, that was exactly what the discussion was about."

"You need to realize that we all have to get used to this situation, okay? It's not all about you," Minho said, scratching the back of his neck. He didn't say it in a mean way, but his words still hurt.

I huffed. "Of course not, but you know - I kind of woke up in a place with no memories whatsoever, then found out I was the only girl in a group of teenage boys, then got told several times how nice my body looked, then was told that I'm weak. I think it's in my right to be angry."

"We're all angry, greenie, but we also realized that it was no use getting angry at each other. It's not our fault that we're here, it's the Creators," Newt said, pulling a hand through his hair.

Minho opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it when Jeff moved into our direction, bandages and jars piled in his arms. He must have overheard us talking - we hadn't been exactly quiet - because, as he put everything on the bed, he had a thoughtful expression on his face. "We just need to keep working together, even with a change like this." He said, sweeping his hand through one of the jars before smearing some white-colored cream on Newt's ankle.

"I think that especially in the situation we're in, our teamwork is the most important thing. The Creators want us to panic - become chaotic," He reached over to grab a bandage, and began rolling it around Newt's foot as he talked. "Why else would they put us in a place like this? A place surrounded by a Maze filled with monstrous creatures?"

The colour drained from my face. So it was true - we were surrounded by a Maze. Which was filled with _monstrous creatures_? Suddenly, I could imagine why no one wanted to tell me about what was beyond the walls.

As he secured the bandage with a pin, he turned to the three of us.

"If we fall apart, what will we have left to cling onto?"

 _\- # -_

 ** _Man, I love wise Jeff. I don't remember what he was like in the books, but in the movies he seemed so calm and down-to-earth. It was really cool that his role was expanded in the movie - shame he died. Everyone who reviewed/followed/favourited, thank you! Hope y'all liked this chapter. Sorry for the wait! Let me know what you guys would like to see in this story - it could help me make this story stand out from other 'girl-in-the-Glade stories' :). Until next time._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	12. Chapter XII: Of Stolen Underwear

_\- # -_

 _ **Chapter XII**_

 _Of Stolen Underwear and Green Eyed Devils_

A sigh of relieve left my lips when the hot water hit my back. I couldn't remember the last time I had taken a shower - literally, _ha-ha_. In the one week I had been here, I had actually never cleaned myself up properly. I didn't even know how filthy I had been until I saw the brown teinted water on the tile floor.

I softly hummed a tune as I pulled my hands through my hair and ran them across my body, steam swirling up from where I stood. Though there wasn't really anything in the Glade that could serve as proper soap, Frypan had gifted me a small jar of coconut oil. At first I wasn't really sure what to do with it, but when I smelled the delicious aroma, I just rubbed it everywhere.

Until now, I had been wearing the boys' clothing. However, even the clothes of the smallest boy in the Glade (who was smaller than me, even) were too wide. I hadn't taken any with me apparently, but luckily, the Sloppers had finally watched the outfit that I wore when I came here - the only one that actually fitted me. I really hoped that the Creators would give me some more clothes to wear.

My clothes lay outside of the shower on a stool, along with a ragged towel. They wouldn't be of any use if they were wet anyway, and one of the Baggers - Jackie, I think? - had promised to take watch so no boys would come in. Event though there was a lock on each shower door, I still appreciated it. I was glad that the boys, despite me being something different, were trying to make me feel safe and at home here.

With the hot water still running and pained expression on my face, I cautiously ran my fingers through my hair and tried to untangle the curls from each other. I hadn't touched it the last week either, so it was one big black mess - as if a tornado had occured right on my head.

I could've probably stood there forever, if it wasn't for a very soft sound disturbing the monotome sound of water hitting the tiles beneath me. My eyes snapped open, slightly panicked. Did someone come in? No, Jackie was in front of the door. He promised not to let anyone past. Newt even made Jackie promise the same to him. He wouldn't be so stupid to break a promise with the second-in-command, right?

Trying to forget about it, I pushed my head under the falling water, draining out anything from the outside. My hands formed themselves into fists, the colour slowly draining from them as my nails digged into my palm.

I heard the door handle move behind me.

Immediately, I turned around and screamed, which caused the person who had been trying to open the door to let go of the handle. I heard someone snigger, though it might have been more than one person.

"Girly?" A mocking sing-songy voice asked, echoing through the room.

I stood still, trying not to make any sound. If I would ignore them, they would go away - or so I hoped. They would lose interest if I didn't give them any attention - or so I hoped. I heard someone shuffling around, though I wasn't sure if it was away or towards me.

I kept my gaze on the door, slightly tilting my head in confusion. Did they go away? Suddenly, something - a box, a stool? - was shoved in front of the door. Only moments later a head framed with dark hair popped over the wooden door. "Girly!"

"Stupid _jerk_!" I shrieked, shrinking to the ground as I tried to cover my naked body.

I looked up at the boy as water dripped down my face, his captivating eyes catching my attention. Despite him being an absolute ass, he had really nice eyes - vibrant and green.

"Whacha tryin' to hide, greenie girl?"

The voice sounded very familiar. I couldn't quite wrap my finger around it, but I knew that I had heard it before. And those eyes, I must have seen those before too. They were pretty hard to miss, really.

My jaw tightened when I realized who it was. "Dinner boy," I muttered, narrowing my eyes at him. "Go away, or I'll scream again til' someone comes in and kicks your ugly ass."

The boy grinned, shaking his head. "Nah. Why won't you show me what's under those arms, hm? Then we'll talk."

I really didn't know how I managed it, but seconds later an earsplitting sound left my lips. The scream was being played back and forth between the tile walls of the shower room, the running water only making it louder.

"Stop! Stop it!" He said, before disappearing from my view.

My throat began to burn, and as soon as I heard a door slam shut, I shut my mouth. After turning off the shower, I moved over to the door as fast as I could without slipping, standing on my tippy toes as I tried to peek over the top. A frustrated sigh left my lips when I realized that I wasn't tall enough by far, and cautiously, my hand sneaked over to the door handle.

When I didn't see anyone, I quickly stepped out of the shower - almost stumbling over the peeking stool in the process - and looked around the place. Being pretty much naked, I rushed over to where my clothes had been before, now in a sad pile on the floor. I grabbed the towel, only to find that there was nothing left underneath. Where were my clothes?

Oh my god - did he take them?

I wrapped the towel around my body, holding it in place with one hand, while chills ran down my spine. Fortunately, it was long enough to cover me from shoulder to mid-thigh. The only thing that he had (luckily) left were my boots, which I slipped into barefoot. I probably looked ridiculous - my hair being one big mess and half-naked with a pair of combat boots on my feet - but I really had enough of him. He had already crossed a border during dinner, but now he really had went to far. And I was going to show him that.

I threw open the door, the soft outside air being a pleasant contrast to how cold it had been inside. I frantically looked around for Jackie, who I found around the corner, holding his nose. Blood was seeping out from underneath his hands.

"I'm sorry," he brabbled incoherently, wincing while he talked.

"Did he do that?"

"Yeah, 'cause I wouldn't let him through."

"Where did he go?" I hissed, grabbing his shoulder with my free hand.

Jackie waved towards the watchtower. "Over there, I saw him. He was holding your clothes, I think." He said, looking down at the towel covering my body. His cheeks turned a soft shade of red.

"No shit," I mumbled, looking over to where he had pointed. Though it was pretty far away, I could make out someone climbing up the ladder. What was he going to do? Even more anger boiled up inside of me. "Go find Clint, or Jeff, or Alby maybe."

Marching away from the bath house, I tried to think of a plan. It was still early in the afternoon, so Minho and Newt wouldn't be back anytime soon. I didn't know if Alby would do anything if I told him what had happened, but still. He was the leader, and he was supposed to do something when things like this occured. Though I didn't really think anything like this had ever happened before.

As I made my way over to the tower, boys stopped their work to look at me. I heard various wolf-whistles and shouts, but my fury drowned all these sounds out. By the time I stood underneath the tower, my clothes had already been made into a flag, tied highly around one of the many poles. Green Eyes was looking down at me, casually leaning over the edge.

"What do you think? Lookin' good up here?" He yelled, eyeing his legacy.

Before I could respond, someone behind me said, "Can we get her bra?" I turned around to shoot daggers at him, only to find a small crowd of boys. Frantically, I scanned the faces for any Keepers or boys I knew, but to no success. All of them cheered and laughed at his remark.

"Yeah, got dibs!"

"Not even, slinthead."

"You are all _disgusting_ perverts," I yelled, before turning back around and stepping onto the ladder.

It took me a long time to get up, considering the fact I had to keep adjusting my makeshift dress to make sure the boys couldn't look up the towel. Once I got up, I was kind of exhausted (how many floors did a watchtower need?). I must have looked quite pathetic, because even Green Eyes shot me an empathetic look.

"Here to negotiate?" He said, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips.

"I'm not here to negotiate. Give me back my clothes."

"Lets make a deal."

"I don't want to make a deal," I hissed, narrowing my eyes.

"If you drop the towel, I'll drop the flag."

"Sorry?"

"You heard me."

Before he knew it, he was holding his reddened cheek. By the surprised expression on his face, he really hadn't seen my hand coming, looking up at me with big eyes. Damn, that was satisfying.

"I'm not here to negotiate," I repeated, untying my clothes from the pole myself. Looking down at the ground, most of the boys had already disappeared. From there, you couldn't even see up the tower. They had probably lost interest as soon as I had disappeared from view.

Cramming my clothes underneath the arm that was holding up my towel, I stuck the other one out. "Truce?"

"Truce," he said, shaking my hand. Something told me I shouldn't trust him. The angry glint in his eyes, the way he squeezed my hand a little too tightly, or the way he bit his lower lip. But for now, truce was enough.

"I don't think I know your name..", I said, before letting go of his hand.

"Robin, greenie."

"It's Harper, actually," I blurted out, nervously scratching the back of my neck.

"Nice to meet you, Harper."

 _\- # -_

 ** _So that ending was kind of horrible and rushed. I'm horrible too - not updating in three weeks. School has been an asshole to me the last week, but fortunately, summer vacay is in two weeks. Yay! minstorai and LadyFantasy13, thank you for your kind reviews! So, what do you guys think of this whole scene. Should I make Robin and Harper friends, or frenemies, or plain enemies, or lovers, or ... Let me know what y'all think! Next chapter will be some super angry Newt and/or Minho and some Alby talk, I think. Not sure if I'll be making a Gathering out of it, but who knows.. Until next time._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	13. Chapter XIII: Friends

**_Hey guys! So despite some drama last chapter, I decided I wouldn't make this chapter a Gathering. I don't think our girl is a person who would try to make a big fuss about it (though she obviously already has, parading through the Glade in only a towel, lols), so yeah. Now we have this chapter thingy. 2lazy2login, so Minho, hm? I see :p. I'm not even sure yet with who I'll be pairing her up, just that it's probably not going to be any time soon. I want to focus on friendship/enemy development first, which might take some time. And even if I'll be pairing her up, not sure if it's going to be a main.. (Who am I kidding. I love Minho way too much). kelfran2002, you don't even know half how much that comment made me smile, omg. minstorai, glad you're liking it. They're probably not going to be enemies, so don't worry ;). BookRain, I'll definitely be building on some frenemy-ness *rubs hands together and grins evilly*. Minus the evilly - I don't want there to be a big side-picking thing with Robin and our girl. We'll see how the two of them are going to work out ... Anyway, on with the chapter!_**

 _\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XIII_**

 _Friends_

"I'm going to kill that shank," Newt was glaring at the table at which Robin sat with a couple of Baggers and Bricknicks (as far as I could tell). Everyone else at our table - Lennon, Christian, Minho and I - looked over to where his eyes were pointing.

"You'll be banished," I said, silently grinning.

"I don't bloody care," the blonde boy said, shifting his gaze to me. "And why do you think that's funny? Am I that much of a shuckface?"

"Totally," I replied, absentmindedly stirring my soup with my spoon. "But really - I don't think killing people is going to solve this."

Even though things were still a bit stiff between me and the two Runners, I didn't try to avoid them anymore. Without even having to ask, they came to sit at my (and Lennon's and Christian's, of course) usual table. They had heard about the incident from one of the other boys probably - rumors spread like wildfire in a place like this. To say that they were unhappy would be an understatement.

"I can't believe Alby hasn't called a Gathering on this yet though," Newt said, his eyebrows furrowing together into a frown. "I don't think he would let anything like this just happen."

"Alby and I aren't exactly on good terms," I muttered. Alby was sitting with the other Keepers like always, but didn't seem engaged in the conversation that was going on. Like always. "Besides, he wasn't really there to witness it."

"Neither were we," Newt remarked, eyeing Minho, "but we still think something should be done." He turned to Minho. "Right?"

Minho's face was serious when he nodded, quickly glancing over to where the leader sat. "He's right, Harps, you should probably tell Alby."

I shrugged, trying my hardest not to blush at the nickname. "I don't want to call another Gathering because of me, _Min_."

Minho snorted sarcastically, though a genuine smile was pulling at his lips as well. "Yes you do, attention-loving shank."

I smacked his shoulder, frowning. "I'm not an attention-loving shank. That's _exactly_ why I don't want there to be a Gathering. I definitely do not want to be the center of attention!" I exclaimed. "I've already been in that spot for long enough."

"True that," Minho said, chewing on his bottom lip as he thought. "But still, you could talk to Alby about it. Even if you two aren't getting along, he's still the leader - it's his job to help you."

"But you guys can help me out too, right? You don't even have to help me out with this. Robin already apologized for his behaviour."

" _Oh really_ ," the black-haired boy said, rolling his eyes. "Do you _really_ shucking believe he's truly sorry?"

I sighed. "I don't know. Can we just stop talking about it?"

Before Minho or Newt could say anything in response, Lennon suddenly spoke. "Do you know what job you'll be getting?"

"Well, you're probably not becoming a Builder." Christian said, making both me and Lennon chuckle. The other two looked at us with confused expressions on their faces, making it even harder for us to hold back our smiles.

Lennon pursed his lips together in an attempt to force away the smile pulling at his lips. "Didn't Gally tell you?"

"Don't you dare tell them," I said, only half serious with a blush on my face. "It was absolutely _horrible_."

"Were you that bad?" Newt chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"No!" I exclaimed, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "I wasn't even _that_ bad. It's just -"

Christian interrupted me. "Greenie broke nearly half the tools we gave her," he said. "She broke a shucking hammer! Even worse, it fell on top of Chris' foot. He's been walking around with this gross-looking, purple foot ever since."

A smug smirk appeared on Minho's face as he shook his head, leaning his forehead in his hands. "Such a greenie."

"How did that even happen?" Newt asked, looking more worried than amused.

"I don't know! I just feel really guilty that I injured someone," I said, biting the inside of my cheek.

Lennon snickered. "She hid out the rest of the afternoon in the toolshed. Gally looked all over the Glade for her, worrying his klunk brains out."

"I was embarassed, okay? I didn't know what to do." I said, looking down at my hands, which were folded into my lap.

"He wouldn't get angry at you, ever," Minho huffed. "Especially since what happened at the bonfire."

"You're right, I guess."

"I'm _always_ right."

"Oh shut up, you're so full of yourself."

"Says you."

Newt chuckled, making me and Minho break our glaring eye-contact. "You two are bloody unbelievable."

I looked at Minho, feigning shock. "Is that an insult?"

"I think it is, Harps."

"I never said it was an insult," Newt said, putting up his hands in the air in surrender. "It was just a neutral comment."

"It didn't _sound_ neutral," I exaggerated. "It sounded really _mean_."

Newt threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Is there any point in arguing with you two?"

"Nope," Minho said, a satisfied grin lighting up his face. He leaned over to high-five me. "We're just an awesome team."

We spent the rest of the evening bickering and talking, even when most boys had already long gone to bed. And I think it was that evening that I realized that life in the Glade didn't have to be so bad after all.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Didn't know how to end this scene, so that might be a bit sucky, but ok. Finally, school is over! Finally! Almost two months of not doing anything but relax (oh, and write literature essays for Dutch, ugh). I'm not sure how much I'll be writing - definitely depends on the amount of inspiration that I'll get. We'll see... Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	14. Chapter XIV: Consolations

_\- # -_

 **Chapter _XIV_**

 _Consolations_

My hammock softly swung back and forth in the cool wind, slowly rocking me to sleep. We could have kept talking until the sun came up, but Alby came to tell us to "shut our shucking mouths or he would" when he was going to bed himself. So now I was here, gazing at the stars that adorned the night sky, reminiscing the last couple of hours. For the very first time, I felt really happy.

I barely had any trouble falling asleep now that I had spend more nights in the Glade. Though some of the boys had the annoying tendency to snore, I had gotten kind of used to it. It was actually kind of nice to have some sort of background noise, instead of just complete silence. I couldn't remember a single moment the past couple of days where it had been completely silent in the Glade - it's always buzzing with life.

My eyelids were suddenly heavy, urging me to close my eyes and fall asleep. I wanted to sleep so badly, but I couldn't. I couldn't, because Newt was still sitting in the grass. He had been sitting there for quite some time now. He was pretty far away from the sleeping area, though still visible from where I was.

I was scared for him.

After the night before the Gathering, I hadn't heard him anymore. Every night after I stayed up, noticing any sound that was out of the ordinary until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I had secretly hoped that it would be a one time thing, but now that I saw him sitting there, I knew that it wasn't. Maybe it had already happened once before I came up the Box. Or several times.

His back was turned towards me. I couldn't tell what he was looking at. The Deadheads? The walls? He sat dead still, his gaze fixated on one thing. The wind played with his blonde hair, but he didn't seem bothered by it.

I knew I shouldn't be nosy. Alby already made it very clear that nosy people weren't appreciated in the Glade. I should just go to sleep, leave him be. He'll be fine in the morning, right? He didn't seem affected by it the other morning. On the other hand, maybe there was actually something wrong. If anything bad happened to Newt, the Glade would be upset. _I_ would be upset, especially if I could've done something to prevent it.

Before I knew it, I had already left the safety on my hammock. The grass tickled my bare feet, making shivers run down my spine. I made my way over to the boy slowly and silently, not sure what to expect.

The shape of his body became more clear as I got closer. He had a slim, but muscly frame - even in the dark I could see that. The only thing covering his torso was a thin tank-top. When I touched his shoulder, it felt cold as stone.

Newt didn't jerk away from my touch. "You should be asleep," he said, not turning his head to look at me. His voice sounded distorted, but I couldn't quite wrap my finger around what caused it.

"I could say the same for you."

"Touché," he said, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. "But still, tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

He was right - tomorrow _was_ going to be a busy day. There was going to be a Gathering to decide what job I would be getting, and I had to visit the Med-Jacks so they could check on my nose. On top of that, new supplies were set to be delivered tomorrow.

"You have to be at the Gathering too, though."

"True that, greenie," he mumbled.

"So why aren't you asleep?" I asked, sitting down next to him. His eyes still wouldn't meet mine, but I knew that I had his attention.

"Why aren't _you_ asleep?" He retorted, clenching his knuckles until they were sickly white.

I shook my head, a smile tugging at my lips. "You can't just answer a question with a question, Newt," I said. "I'm still awake because you are still awake. So now, tell me why _you_ are still awake."

It stayed silent between us for a very long time, the only sound filling our ears being the rustling leaves of the Deadheads' trees and the creaking wood of the Homestead. I kept looking at his face, searching for a trace of ... of what? I honestly didn't know - I just wanted to hear him say something. Anything.

Newt finally looked up at me, his brown eyes suddenly big, like a child's. "I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?" I asked, placing my hand on his arm. I rubbed my thumb over his skin in small circles, trying to comfort him. "There's nothing to be afraid of. The Glade is a safe place."

Truth was that I had no idea what I was talking about. Newt knew that too. I had been in the Glade for only a week - how could I know that the Glade was a safe place? From what I had heard, the opposite was true.

"I'm scared of what I see," he whispered. "Whenever I close my eyes, I see horrible things."

As much as I wanted to ask him what he saw, I knew that it would probably upset him more if he had to recall those images. "Do you know where they come from? The nightmares?"

"I don't know, it could be the Creators. They mess with bloody everything we have."

I slid my hand down his arm carefully, before folding it around his. He didn't resist - he didn't even mention it. I really didn't know what to say. My knowledge of the Glade and the boys that lived within it was so little. How was I supposed to tell him that things were going to be okay? I didn't know anything.

"I'll stay with you, if you want," I said softly. "Just for tonight."

I stood up, slightly tugging at his hand. Though he didn't respond, he stood up as well. He followed me towards the Homestead before unlocking the door for us with a key from around his neck. We walked through the hallway silently, not looking at each other.

Newt slipped into his bed without saying anything, but quickly scooted over to make place for me when he saw me lingering in the doorframe. His bed was cold, but he himself was a living heater. After lazily slipping one arm beneath my head and another over my stomach, Newt fell asleep quickly.

Before giving into sleep, I whispered, "Good night."

 _\- # -_

I woke up in my own hammock.

Though most of the boys were still asleep, beams of light were already peeking over the East Door. I kicked my blanket away with my feet, enjoying the sun's natural warmth on my bare legs. While I didn't know how I had gotten back to my own hammock, I didn't think much of it. Newt probably brought me back after I fell asleep. My eyes widened as I realized _he_ had _carried_ me here.

Swiftly, I slipped into a pair of loafers that one of the younger boys had given me when I arrived. They were a bit big, but I could walk in them comfortably. If I was quick enough, I would have the bathroom for myself for some time. Soon enough, the boys would wake up and need to freshen themselves up too. I made my way over to the building as fast as I could, nearly running. Even though Robin had apologized, I wasn't in for another encounter with some stupid, curious boy.

Pushing the door open, I could hear the water running. A disappointed sigh left my lips as I stepped into the bathroom.

"Good morning," a familiar voice said, conjuring a smile from me.

"Good morning, Newt," I answered, walking over to the sinks where he was standing. He turned to look at me, and a blush crept onto my face when I saw that he wasn't wearing a shirt. "What is it with you boys not wearing shirts?"

An amused expression appeared on the blonde boy's face. "What's wrong with not wearing a shirt? Weren't you the one parading through the Glade in a only a towel?"

"Ha-ha, you're so funny," I said, rolling my eyes. "And that was one time! You guys just randomly pull off your shirts throughout the day like it's no big deal."

"It _is_ no big deal," he shrugged. A smirk tugged at his lips. "You shouldn't be acting like you don't bloody enjoy watching all those shirtless shanks work. Gally, for example -"

I slapped his arm, my cheeks nearly resembling tomatoes. "You're such an idiot! Leave me and my issues alone!"

Newt laughed, turning back to the sink and grabbed his shirt from the edge and pulling it over his head. I turned to the sink as well and wet my hands, before putting them to my face. As I washed my cheeks, carefully dodging the bandage that still covered my nose, my eyes traveled upwards. To my surprise, I was staring right into my own eyes. It was so strange to see myself, I didn't even remember this to be me. I looked exactly like Newt had described, but it was still so _new_. I pinched my cheeks to make sure it was actually _me_ in the mirror.

"Pretty, hm?" Newt said, waking me from my daydream.

Not looking away from the mirror, I said, not replying to his indirect question, "It's so strange .. I can't even remember looking like this."

"You'll get used to it eventually, I guess," Newt said, pulling a hand through his hair in an attempt to make it look like less of a mess.

We were silent for a couple of minutes, each of us doing our own things. I liked the comfortable silence that hung between us. Even though only two weeks had passed, I already felt like Newt and I could become friends. There was something about him that made me want to stay close to him, which was not only because of his kind personality. I wanted to keep an eye on him because of what side I had seen of him those two nights.

While I was still studying myself in the mirror, pulling at my skin and tugging at my hair, Newt got ready to leave. He started gathering his stuff and as he did so, he said, "Thank you for last night."

"No need to thank me," I mumbled, shifting my gaze for a moment to look at him. "But really, if these nightmares keep happening, you should talk to Alby."

"What is Alby going to do about it?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing together into a frown. I bit my lip - he was right. I had just assumed that the leader of the Glade would deal with such things and even though I didn't know Alby at all, he wasn't the right kind of person to deal with something like this - even if he and Newt were good friends.

"Or anyone else, really.. I don't know," I said, finally looking away from the mirror. Newt was suddenly a lot closer, only a couple of inches away from me. I had to tilt my head upwards to look into his eyes.

Newt scratched the back of his neck, chuckling awkwardly. "I have been living with these boys for a pretty long time now. We don't talk about those kind of things, Harper. We just deal with them ourselves."

"But what if you can't? What if you can't deal with these things yourself? Doesn't it make you even more scared?" I said, the last question barely a whisper.

I didn't know exactly what went through Newt, but his face distorted slightly. I tried to read his eyes, but before I could do so, he had already wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly. For a moment, I froze, surprised by his sudden embrace. Once I realized what was happening, I slowly put my hands on his back, returning the hug.

"You know, I -" Newt began, but he got interrupted by the bathroom door, which suddenly flew open.

"Good morning everyone," someone said in a singsong voice. Minho turned around the corner of the first stall. "What -"

His eyes widened when he noticed me and Newt by the sink. It took us a couple of seconds to realize that we were still holding onto each other, and we quickly let go. I quickly glanced at Newt, but he was looking at Minho, his mouth wide open.

Minho didn't seem sure what to think for a moment, but then a smile started tugging at his lips. "Were you guys.. _kissing_?

"No!" Newt and I exclaimed at the same time.

The black-haired boy stared at us for a couple more seconds, before turning around and dashing towards the door. It seemed like he was about to forget all this, until he started shouting, "Newt and Harper were kissing! They were KISSING!" and, a couple of seconds later, "They're in LOVE!"

"Bloody hell." Newt mumbled, shaking his head.

"Bloody hell indeed," I whispered, still slightly in shock. "This is horrible."

"Hey!" The blonde said, softly punching me in the shoulder. "Am I that bad?"

"Oh, shut up."

 _\- # -_

 ** _Some might call me a horrible writer. Others might call me lazy. I call myself an idiot, on top of those two things. I haven't updated in forever, my god. I was going to make this a super long chapter, but decided to split it into two. Next update should be pretty soon! Since I'm super tired, I don't really feel like replying to the reviews. I'll do that next chap! Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	15. Chapter XV: Breakfast Bickering

**_Kudos to thepandabella for beta-reading this chap! :)_**

 _\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XV_**

 _Breakfast Bickering_

"Is it.. _true_?"

Frypan was leaning over the counter of the kitchen, shifting his gaze between me and Newt. While the Cooks were still very busy with breakfast, some of the other early birds already had their portion of toast and eggs. Small groups were sitting together, looking in our direction every now and then before turning back and whispering something. Minho really knew how to spread a rumor..

"Absolutely not," I answered, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"Good," Frypan said, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead as if relieved, "Minho was already shouting around that we had to start working on the baby stuff."

"He's crazy in the head, obviously," I said, rolling my eyes, "I'll punch him on the nose as soon as I see him again."

"Like you would," Newt grinned, wincing slightly when I slapped his shoulder.

"I will," I huffed, ".. or maybe not. But still, I'm going to make him regret it!"

"Are you that ashamed? _Really_?" Frypan asked, before turning to Newt. "Ouch shank."

"Newt is really nice -"

"So you _would_ kiss him?"

"No, no, that's not what I mean -"

"Are you saying that Newt is not someone you would kiss?"

"No.. I mean, yes, but - ugh," I mumbled, making both boys burst out laughing.

"You should have seen the look on your face!" Newt hiccuped, tears nearly streaming down his cheeks.

" _No_.. _I mean, yes_!" Frypan tried to imitate me with a ridiculously high voice, only adding to their laughter. Various boys were looking in our direction now, frowning. I didn't know that I could blush this much in only one morning.

"You guys are just as bad as Minho." I said, rolling my eyes, though a smile was tugging at my lips. "Just give us our breakfast, please. I've been embarrassed enough this morning already."

Frypan, who was still chuckling, turned around and walked away. Moments later he returned with two plates. He handed them over to us, saying to me, "Here you go, _princess_ ," and even though it was cheesy, I smiled shyly.

When we finally sat down at our usual table, Newt frowned.

"You have way more eggs than I do," he said, accusingly pointing a finger at my plate.

I looked down at my eggs and realized that he was right. "I guess I do," I said, a smirk appearing on my face. "Because I'm a _princess_ , duh."

"What?" Newt asked, looking slightly confused.

"Didn't you hear what Frypan said? I am, in fact, the princess of the Glade."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"What about Alby?" Newt scratched the back of his neck, then pointed in Alby's direction. He was now standing in line to get his breakfast, only three boys before him left. He was quietly talking to a Keeper who I recognized as Zart.

"He's a fake," I said, pricking at my eggs before shoving a bite into my mouth.

"A fake?"

"Yes! That's why he doesn't like me. He's afraid that he will lose his power once I have claimed the throne."

"Will he lose his power?"

"Totally."

The blonde pulled up an eyebrow, before returning my smirk with one of his own. "Well then, if you're a princess, who is the prince?"

"As if!" I huffed, pretending to be offended, "I don't need a prince to rule the Glade. I do just fine on my own. Suck on that, Alby!"

For a moment, Newt froze, his eyes widening. Then, he whispered, "Harper, he's right behind you."

Making a face, I turned around quickly to see if he had heard. I frowned - there was nobody standing behind me. Only when I heard Newt grinning, I realized that I had once again fallen for one of his jokes.

"You're absolutely horrible," I said, groaning in frustration.

"Who? Me?" A new voice joined in, making me groan again even louder.

"Yes, Minho, you too." I sighed. He sat down next to Newt, on the opposite side of me. "Newt is trying to take your spot of the most annoying person in the Glade. He's doing a very good job, I must say."

"Did I hear that right? Most _annoying_ person in the Glade?"

"Yeah, Min."

"That's definitely still my spot. Newt doesn't even come close to annoying. I mean, he has many qualities - he's funny, friendly -"

Newt interrupted Minho before he could finish his sentence. "And very attractive also."

"Oh, hell no. You're one ugly shank," the black-haired boy said, making me chuckle.

Newt huffed. "Am not. Besides, Harper is trying something _way_ worse."

"Like what?" Minho asked, shifting his gaze to me.

"Stealing your title of the Glade's princess."

"Oh _hell_ no."

 _\- # -_

 ** _Hey everyone! Just a short chap for y'all, sort of an apology for the long wait .. I'm working on the next chapter, though I don't know when I'll be done. BookRain, got ya another update! Hope you enjoyed :). percabeth9349, hmm, I'm still hesitating. I'm not sure how far I want to take the romance in this story .. If there'll be any, you're going to have to wait for it for a while still. Don't want to rush anything .. LadyFantasy13, glad I could make you laugh! If I could, I'd step into the TMR-universe just to give Newt a big bear hug. XxTigerxX, don't worry, I will :). So, the next chapter is going to be the Gathering .. Which job do you guys think our girl will be getting? Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	16. Chapter XVI: Decisions

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XVI_**

 _Decisions_

I was the last one to arrive at the Gathering. Newt and Minho had left me as soon as they had finished their breakfast, because they were supposed to talk things through with Alby beforehand. To be honest, I was a bit nervous about what job I would be getting. I was still interested in becoming a Runner even though I didn't know much about it. On the tour, Newt had told me that they were the only ones allowed to go into the Maze. That they ran around the Maze all day, trying to find a way out. He sounded proud to be one. But then I remembered Lennon's words. Greenies couldn't and wouldn't be chosen as Runners. On top of that, I was a girl and Alby had already made it very clear that that made me an exception, a difference.

"Harper," Alby said when I walked in, nodding in my direction as a greeting. He gestured at a chair in the middle of the room around which all the other chairs were situated.

"Alby," I replied as I walked over to my seat, my eyes meeting his for a moment. They didn't say much, but at least they weren't hostile like they had been during the previous Gathering.

I felt everyone's eyes on me, which made me shift nervously in my chair. I had absolutely no idea which Keepers wanted me. I felt like I hadn't really screwed up any try-out, except for maybe when I was with the Builders. When I was with the Baggers, I didn't really have to do anything, because they only had to act when someone needed to be buried, and for the rest of the day, they guarded the Doors. I crossed my fingers in my lap, hoping that Winston wouldn't want me with the Slicers. Slaughtering animals wasn't really my forte, and the ram made me not want to go close to the animals' pens ever again.

"Today we have gathered to decide on which job our newest greenie, Harper, will be getting," Alby began, slowly looking around the room. "Each Keeper will get a moment to explain to us why they want Harper in their crew. If Harper is not chosen by any Keeper, she'll be working with the Sloppers." The thought of working with the Sloppers made me cringe. I respected them for being able to bear that job every day. Their Keeper sat somewhere near the end of the row, slumped down in his chair. "We'll start off with the Keepers who do _not_ want Harper working for them."

To my surprise, only Winston and David, the Keeper of the Baggers, raised their hands. When Alby asked them to explain their decision, both of them answered that they didn't feel like I was suited for the job. While Winston was talking, he quickly sent a wink in my direction. I was glad that they didn't try to force me into their job. In my head, I thanked them both.

"Well then, we can continue on with the rest of you shanks. Gally," Alby said, nodding in the boy's direction, "you're up first."

The boy awkwardly cleared his throat, then said, "I think she would be a great addition to the team. She's smaller and lighter than most of us, which is definitely an advantage for when we need to build on top of something, and she'll fit inside all gaps. Of course, she needs to learn a lot still. How to handle a hammer ..," Gally and I both grinned, to the confusion of others, and he concluded, "I think she'll do fine, doesn't matter if she'll be a Builder or a Bricknick."

Next up was Zart. "She's nice to have around, always chatty, but still a hard worker. Once she knows how to do something, she works very efficiently. She'd do great in the Gardens."

"Did you taste the pancakes she made?" Frypan asked when it was his turn, an excited expression on his face. The compliment made me smile a little. "She was flippin' them like a crazy! Think that should be enough to have her in the Kitchens with me."

Clint said, "She's a very fast learner, and nice company. I have seen her reading some of the medical books that we have with very much care and interest. It would be good to have her around to handle the patients. Since there's only two of us.."

The leader nodded thoughtfully, scratching his chin. "If there are no further additions, we can continue on to the voting. Remember, Keepers, you can only vote once and you can not vote for yourself." I slowly raised my hand. "Yes, Harper?"

"What about the Runners?" I asked nervously, not looking up at him.

"What do you mean?" Alby answered my question with a question, making me even more nervous. His expression was a mix of surprise and confusion.

"How do I become a Runner?"

For a couple of seconds, it was dead silent. Then, someone burst out laughing on the other side of the room. Annoyed, I looked in the direction from which the sound was coming. Minho pulled up an eyebrow, shooting me a pitiful look. The other Keepers started whispering to one another, outraged by my question. Newt just looked confused, and a bit worried.

Alby shook his head, looking at me like I was dumb. "You don't just become a Runner, greenie. It isn't a possibility."

"But I could train, right? If I really try my hardest, I could -," I started hopefully, but Alby interrupted me.

"You can't be a Runner," Alby said, and when I opened my mouth to say something, "Slim it."

I had so much more to say, but I knew now not to pick a fight during a Gathering. I pursed my lips together, narrowing my eyes at him even though he wasn't looking at me anymore. For the rest of the Gathering, I sat in silence. I missed the voting, so lost in my thoughts. Only when Alby announced that I would be working with Frypan, I was brought back to reality. A small smile appeared on my face. Cooking wasn't that bad, right?

As soon as it was decided, the Keepers stood up and left the room. I sauntered behind them, a bit disappointed in myself that I didn't say more. Now, I didn't have any chance to become a Runner at all, ever.

That was, until someone their lips to my ear and whispered, "Meet me in the Deadheads after dinner."

 _\- # -_

 ** _That moment when you're too lazy to write an author's note.. Hope y'all enjoyed! Until next time._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	17. Chapter XVII: Run Or Die

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XVII_**

 _Run Or Die_

My lungs felt like they were on fire.

I stumbled through the Deadheads, thin branches scratching my cheeks and sticking to my hair. I had no idea for how long I had been running, but I knew that I couldn't go on for much longer. Every time my feet hit the ground, pain shot up my legs, through my chest and then right into my head. My vision was shaky, barely even there.

I didn't see the tree roots in time.

Suddenly, my face was in the dirt. I was out of breath, nearly heaving, but able to keep my lunch inside my stomach. I cried out when my muscles contracted, which sent a shocks through my body. Minho had already told me that this would happen if I stopped all the sudden, but I hadn't expected it to be this bad. To feel it myself was really something else.

"You need to pay more attention," the boy said, coming to a stop besides me.

Ever since Minho had asked me to meet him in the Deadheads two weeks ago, we had been running. Apparently, it wasn't normal that a Glader _wanted_ to become a Runner. Most boys were scared of the Grievers, but Minho had told me that they only came out at night, so that didn't really make sense to me. I could imagine that they were afraid that they wouldn't make it back to the Doors in time, but that wasn't that difficult if you had a watch, right?

"It just appeared out of nowhere," I groaned as I tried to wipe the dirt off my face with my sleeve. Fortunately, my nose had fully healed, so touching it didn't hurt as bad as it would have before.

"Tell the Grievers that when they try to eat your shucking face," he said, grinning. He knelt down beside me and helped me sit, before handing me a bottle of water. Since we spent a lot of our free time together, Minho had become more gentle. Instead of scowling when I did something wrong, he made a joke out of it. He knew how hard it was to become a Runner, let alone Keeper of the Runners, so he tried to make me feel comfortable in the process.

It was hard to find a moment where we were both free. I had my shifts in the Kitchens while he had to run the Maze. Fortunately, I had been dismissed from cooking dinner. Minho had the day off on greenie day, because all Keepers were supposed to be present when someone new came up the Box. I had already been here for a _month_. Fortunately, none of the Gladers had noticed yet that the two of us were missing every now and then.

"Thank you," I said, before putting the water bottle to my lips.

Minho eyed his watch, a slightly worried expression on his face. "It's late already."

I handed the bottle back to him and nodded. "How late do the greenies usually arrive?"

"They never arrive at the same time." Minho sat down next to me and scratched the back of his neck. "I don't think we've ever had one coming up this late, though."

"I hope that it's a girl," I blurted out. It was true; I did want the greenie to be a girl. Even though the boys had been nothing but kind to me, it would be nice to have some female company as well. Up until now, I hadn't really had anyone I could confide in.

"Me too," Minho exclaimed, making the both of us laugh. "We'll see, Harps. At least you won't be the greenie anymore."

"Finally," I groaned, leaning back against a tree trunk. "I am so done with -"

An ear-splitting sound cut me off.

 _\- # -_

Everyone was gathered around the Box. By now, the alarm had stopped blaring. Softly, I tugged on Newt's sleeve. I was standing just behind him and Minho, who had pulled me to the front. The boy looked over his shoulder and quirked up an eyebrow upon seeing me. I realized that I was still covered in a layer of dirt.

"What _happened_ to you?" Newt whispered, studying my face.

"I was walking around the Deadheads and fell." I shrugged. "No big deal."

Though he didn't look convinced, he turned his attention away from me when the Builders pulled open the gates that seperated the Box from the Glade. I cringed at the sound of the screeching metal, and like any other boy, I leaned over as far as possible to see who the new greenie was. From where I stood, I could peer inside without anyone blocking the view, but I didn't see anyone inside.

Alby lowered himself into the Box, calmly looking around for the newest arrival.

"Stay away!"

A voice, coming out of the Box. The Gladers looked at each other, laughed, made comments on what the greenie would be like. Newt laughed about something Minho had said to him, but I wasn't listening. I tried to hear what Alby was saying, but his voice was too low and too soft.

"Don't come close! I mean it!"

Boys snickered, but I didn't find anything funny about it. How could they be so heartless? The boy was obviously scared, a little angry even, and they made fun of him! They were in that spot once too. Didn't they have any empathy at all?

Newt turned to me to say something, a smug expression on his face, but I was already making my way over to the Box. Before I knew it, my feet had taken me over to where Alby stood. Upon seeing me, he narrowed his eyes.

"Do you always need to intervene with business?" He barked, accusingly pointing his index finger at me.

I ignored his question, instead gaping at the boy cowering in the corner. He was holding a machete, pointing it in our direction. His gaze kept switching between me and Alby, watching us very closely. Though his expression was hostile, his eyes screamed fear. He couldn't be more than thirteen years old.

"Get _away_ from me!"

Suddenly, Alby walked over to where the boy was sitting, clearly done with his attitude. Before the greenie could strike the leader with his machete, it was yanked out of his hands. The boy opened his mouth to say something, our scream maybe, but the leader slapped him across the face, shaking both me and the greenie out of our daze.

"You, greenie, need to slim it," Alby hissed. He roughly pulled the boy up by his collar. "From now on, you're a Glader, and you're going to do as I say. No more jokes like these. Do you understand?"

To say that I was furious, was an understatement. Alby was supposed to make the new boys feel safe, not make them fear him. That he failed me didn't mean that he had to treat this greenie the same.

"Alby, get away from that boy," I threatened, slowly making my way over to where they stood. To my surprise, the older boy obliged, pushing the boy towards me. Before he could fall on his face, I caught him by his shoulders. I quickly pulled him behind me.

"Now, you get out of here and tell the boys to get back to work, so both your and all their nasty faces won't scare this boy anymore."

"Watch yourself, Harper," Alby mumbled angrily, before pulling himself out of the Box.

When I heard the leader shout around orders again, I turned to the boy, who looked more confused than scared now. I gestured for him to sit on one of the crates, before sitting down myself against the wall.

"I'm sorry for Alby, he can be a bit harsh sometimes," I said, pulling a hand through my hair.

"You don't say," the boy replied sarcastically, making me grin. "Who are you?"

"I'm Harper. Do you know your name?"

"Yeah, my name's Dean."

"Welcome to the Glade, Dean."

"The Glade?"

"Long story."

 _\- # -_

 ** _I was stuck on this chapter for a very long time for no apparent reason, but here it is! Finally! percabeth9349, your prayers for Minho have been heard :p. The thing with the Minho/OC/Newt is that it has been done so many times, I don't know if I want to make my fanfiction _that _predictable. I do love me a good love triangle though, so who knows. LadyFantasy13, I'm glad you like the story that much! Sorry for the long wait, haha. BookRain, same with the love triangle, so many greenie girls are Runners. I mean, Harper is training to be one as well now, but I don't want it to be as easy for her, hehe. Not sure when I will update again.. What do you guys think of Dean? Let me know! Until next time._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	18. Chapter XVIII: Competition

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XVIII_**

 _Competition_

"You're kidding."

"Am not."

The young boy laughed, a delightful sound. I was glad he was enjoying himself at the Bonfire, especially after I had been ushered out of the Kitchens during my shift earlier today to comfort the crying greenie. Even though Dean had proven to be a fierce little boy when meeting Alby for the first time, the Gladers could a bit harsh. None of them really knew what to do with him since there was such a big age gap.

"Gally broke your nose?" He asked, his eyes open wide.

"He did," I said, "I had to spend my first night in the Glade with the Med-Jacks."

"They seem nice." Dean turned his head to where Jeff and Clint were sitting. They were sitting nearer to the fire with some boys I recognized, but didn't know the name of.

"They really are, actually, but it's no fun sleeping on your own in there. The beds are way more comfortable than the hammocks, though."

"I guess, yeah," he said. The boy seemed unsure what to do. The two of us had been sitting away from the rest since the beginning. Every now and then some boys came over to make small talk with the greenie or trying to get him to drink Gally's brew, but they went away as soon as something more interesting happened elsewhere. Now that I had been here for a month, I wasn't really that interesting anymore to the boys.

I gently grabbed Dean's wrist and stood up. "Let's get us a drink, shall we? Maybe we can find some friends, play a game or something."

Dean nodded, slowly standing up as well. I sent him a reassuring look as I pulled him to his feet, trying to make the boy feel at ease. I pulled him past the fire, over to where Frypan was serving his drinks. He was talking to Gally, who waved when he saw the two of us approaching.

"Dare to take some brew?" He grinned, eyeing Dean.

"I think we'd rather have some water, hm?" I looked at the boy next to me. He shrugged, but seemed glad that he didn't have to speak for himself.

"Not even you, Harper?" Gally asked, sending a wink in my direction.

"I don't think so," I said, shaking my head.

"One pot, and I'll give you my eggs at breakfast tomorrow."

"You're bluffing." I narrowed my eyes, trying to read his eyes.

"I'll make _sure_ you get his eggs," Frypan said, already filling up a cup with brew for me. "Just a cup, girly. Can't do much."

Biting my lip, I thought about it. He was kind of right. One cup couldn't really affect me, right?

"Fine. _One_ cup. And I want your bacon as well."

"And get through the day with two pieces of dry toast?" Gally huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Deal or no deal," I said, quirking up an eyebrow cheekily.

"Fine. Bacon and eggs," Gally groaned. He pointed at the cup, which was now filled with a bright yellow liquid. "Now, drink."

I scrunched up my nose in disgust as I reached out for the drink. I was slightly ashamed of myself for not being able to resist the over, but who could? Extra breakfast? In my eyes, a pretty good deal.

Before taking a sip, I brought the pot to my nose to smell how bad it was. Big mistake. I instantly gagged, but was able to keep my dinner in my stomach. Gally and Frypan laughed, while Dean looked a little unsure of what to do.

"What's in this?" I asked, pursing my lips together in disgust.

"Secret recipe," Gally grinned, evilly rubbing his hands together.

After excessively rolling my eyes, I took a big swig of the drink. It made my throat burn, but not necessarily in a bad kind of way. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back. Why would something stupid like this make me cry?

"Chug it, girly," Frypan said, trying to sound encouraging.

I kept on drinking, the edge of the cup not once leaving my lips, and before I knew it, there was nothing left. Proudly, I slammed it onto the counter of the bar, before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Gally patted me on the shoulder, seemingly impressed.

"Didn't think you had it in ya, girl. If I had anything left to bet on, I'd have you drink another one."

"I'll bet ya on my eggs," someone behind me said, suddenly joining the conversation. I knew I had heard the voice before, but I couldn't pinpoint who it belonged to. I glanced over my shoulder, only to be greeted by two piercing green eyes.

"Oh, eh.. Hi Robin," I stuttered, baffled by his sudden appearance. I hadn't really spoken to him since our little bathroom incident and hadn't actually been planning on speaking to him ever again. But for how long could you avoid someone in a place like this?

"Hi Harper," he said. The boy stuck up his hand as a greeting. "My eggs for another drink."

Nervously, I looked around. My friends had made it clear that they didn't exactly like seeing Robin near me. But if they came over here, they would probably stop our little game as well, and I was definitely not risking those extra eggs. Besides, drinking a little wasn't going to affect me badly in any way. I could get over a little dizziness.

I turned to Dean, who was still awkwardly standing by my side. "Hey, how about you go find Newt? You know, the blonde one with the strange accent?" Dean nodded. "I'll get back to you as soon as I'm done here. I think he's over there." I pointed over to the fire, which was many yards away from where we were standing. I could vaguely make out the boy, who seemed to be talking to one of the other Runners.

As Dean started to make his way over to the fire, I turned back to my company.

"Another drink, you said?"

 _\- # -_

The world was spinning and twisting around me.

Every time I turned my head, my eyes turned the other way. But that was just my clumsiness, probably?

Whose eggs did I have? I had Gally's, and Robin's, I remembered. Then Christian's. Or were they Lennon's? Didn't I have both of their portions? Then came David, George and Alex, and some more boys. All of them had introduced theirselves to me, but I couldn't really remember any of them. Even though I had been here a month - a _month_! - already, I still didn't know everyone. I met so many new Gladers!

There were a lot more boys than I could remember betting on me, cheering me on while I was drinking from another glass. A couple of them had joined me, drinking and laughing as well. My name was shouted the loudest of all.

"Harper! Harper!" They yelled, and I laughed giddily. Finally, they were on my side.

I didn't know what time it was, but I knew that I should have gone to sleep a long time ago. There were already so many stars in the sky. But a lot of boys weren't sleeping yet, so it probably wasn't much of a problem.

After a little time, suddenly, little by little, the cheering stopped. I tried to see what was happening, but my brain and my vision would not cooperate. Within the blink of an eye, I was on the ground. How did I get there? I giggled, digging my fingers into the soft dirt, ripping out some grass.

"- going on?" A deep voice asked. Alby! What was he doing here?

"- don't know, but this should not -", a voice replied, the last part of what he said fading. The boy with the weird voice and the weird name.

"Weren't you supposed to look out for her?" Alby asked. What did he mean by that?

"I am not her bloody nanny, Alby. Besides, I thought she was responsible enough to not do something like this," Weird Voice said.

"Hey!" I mumbled, but it came out as something unintelligable. My tongue was in the way, making it hard for me to speak clearly. Stupid tongue.

I started pulling at my tongue to get it out of the way, but a strong hand grabbed my wrist. " _What_ are you doing?"

"My tongue, 's in the way," I mumbled, frowning. "Stupid tongue."

"That does definetily not mean you should pull out your own tongue. Let's get you out of here."

"No!" I almost screamed, "I'm staying here." I grinned. "If you give me your eggs at breakfast, I'll drink another one."

"Shuck, Harps, didn't think you were that easy," the boy laughed. Suddenly, I was pulled to my feet. I almost fell over again, a wave of nausea washing over me, but two strong arms wrapped themselves around my torso.

I hugged the boy back. "Wow, you're strong," I mumbled, digging my face into the boy's shirt. "And very hot."

"Why thank you, girly. You're not so bad yourself."

Even though that's not what I meant, I didn't bother trying to correct myself. I realized that I was tired, and not a little either. I could probably sleep for months, and then when they finally found a way out of the Maze, they could wake me up and take me with them. That would be great.

I closed my eyes, and I didn't open them again for a very long time.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Heya! What's up guys? Long time, no see. I really liked writing this chapter. This will make up for some good Embarrassed Harper next chapter. Embarrassed Harper is the cutest. I'm glad y'all seem to like my ideas, gives me some motivation and confidence. You guys seem to be leaning towards Minho/Harper, hm? But what would their shipname be? MinHarps? Harpo? Gimme some ideas. Don't get too excited though - our girl has only been in there for a month. Not in a rush :). I love me some long reviews, thanks Philippa Gordon. And ohmygosh, *blushes*. Green Eyes Wander, I'm a really big fan of your writing style, so I'm very glad that you're enjoying mine as well. Will definetily take a look at your story ;). I recently realized that Amandla Stenberg is exactly who I imagined Harper to look like, so if you were in need of any reference, here ya go. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, WE HIT OVER A 50 FOLLOWERS! AND OVER A 60 REVIEWS! I'm so happy, heh. Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	19. Chapter XIX: Regret

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XIX_**

 _Regret_

"I'm such an idiot."

"An idiot with eggs, though."

I sighed as I stared down at my plate, which was piled high with scrambled eggs. Lennon and Christian sat across from me, stealing eggs off of my plate every now and then when they thought I wasn't looking. Frypan had given me the morning off to recover from last night, but up until now, I hadn't made much progress on doing so. I had woken up with a terrible headache and it hadn't died down one bit. It felt like a thousand little drummers were beating their sticks against my brain, begging me to let them out of my head.

I shoved my plate towards the two boys. "You can have them," I mumbled, putting my hand in my heads.

"You should eat. Makes you a big strong girl," Lennon said, both cheeks already propped full with eggs.

"I'm already a big strong girl. Besides, I'm not hungry." I sighed. "It feels like I could throw up any second."

Lennon shrugged. "More for us. This really what you won for?"

"I don't even care anymore." I moaned painfully - it felt like someone kept stabbing me in the head. "At least," I continued, "I now know not to do this ever again. Know not to make deals with Gally and Frypan."

"They're nice shanks," Christian said, shrugging. He pricked at the plate hesitantly, taking a bite every now and then. I liked his shy nature, especially since most of the boys here were so loud. Hanging out with Lennon and Christian always made me feel a little less stressed about being a misfit in the Glade. The two of them didn't really fit in either - I never saw them with the other boys.

"But they like to trick ya. Shuckfaces." Lennon grinned, looking at the boy next to him. "But you keep believin' they're nice shanks. Until they do something to you like they did to girly over here."

Christian returned the smile, his cheeks turning slightly red. "Not everyone is perfect."

I rolled my eyes before pricking some eggs off the plate. We weren't anywhere near finishing my portion, and we probably weren't going to. I looked up when I heard someone approaching. The Keeper of the Builders greeted us with a nod and smile, before sitting down next to me.

"Looking great today, Harper," he said, patting me on the shoulder. I buried my head in my hands in shame, too embarrassed to face him.

"I feel terrible," I groaned. "Alby is going to kill me."

"If Alby wanted to kill ya, he would have thrown ya off the shucking Cliff long ago."

"True that," Lennon grinned, absentmindedly spinning his fork around with his fingers. "I'm surprised he hasn't already."

I lifted my head to look at the Builder, quirking up and eyebrow in mock annoyance. "Thanks." I sighed. "But I still have Newt and Minho lurking behind my back. As soon as they get back, I'm going to lock myself in the Kitchens."

"You're going to pull the same trick as you did a couple of weeks ago? Trying to avoid them and ending up still happy friends after everything?" Lennon asked, obviously questioning my reasons for being anxious.

"They're probably not angry," Christian said. "They're just looking out for you. I mean, they have been with you since you came here." The boy shrugged. "I don't blame them."

I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought. They were probably right. I couldn't keep them away from me by hiding, nor could I keep myself away from them. We had some sort of friendship after all. I could still remember the concern interlaced with Newt's voice when he talked to Alby and Minho's arms carrying me towards my hammock.

"I guess, yeah," I said. "But I'm still ashamed of myself. Minho's going to make some joke out of me."

"He definitely is," Gally confirmed, giving me a pitiful smile. "You were a joke yesterday. No one could believe their own two shucking eyes when they saw you prancing around with a drink in your hand."

"I regret it, though." I gazed at my plate of eggs. "Drunk me couldn't really estimate my hunger in the morning." I looked at Gally and nodded at my breakfast. "You can have some of these if you want. I'll throw them away otherwise."

"Frypan isn't going to have that," Lennon chuckled, eyeing the Cook. He was talking to a small boy, which I after a couple of seconds realised was Dean. He was talking with big gestures, seemingly intimidating the younger boy, who had to take a step back every couple of seconds so he wouldn't get hit in the face. I waved at him and after I had caught his attention, I gestured at the table.

I turned back to my company. "Going to have what? Me throwing away his eggs - which don't have much taste to them anyway?"

"A greenie tried to throw his risotto away couple of months ago. Said he wasn't hungry. Later that night, he found sticky clumps of rice back in his hammock," Lennon said, a mischievous smirk creeping onto his face. "Frypan doesn't like wasting. Neither does Alby."

I rolled my eyes. "Alby doesn't like anything."

Dean had finally reached our table, nervously looking around the table. His plate trembled in his hands. I looked up at the boy and gave him a reassuring smile, before patting the empty spot next to me on the bench. Relief washed over his face as he sat down.

"Good morning," I said, which was followed by good mornings from the others. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, thank you," he replied, a little more comfortable than before.

"What's the plan for today, hm?"

"Alby said something about job trials," Dean said, earning some chuckles from the boys.

"Well then," Lennon said. "You've got a long day coming for ya, greenie."

 _\- # -_

 ** _So that was pretty lame. Again, thousand times sorry that I disappeared. I'm back! This chapter is pretty much a filler, so there isn't much happening really. Dialogue isn't exactly my strong point, but I like to write it, so what the hell. I'm way too tired to write anything else here, so I'm just going to leave you guys with a question: What are Newt and Minho going to say? Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	20. Chapter XX: A Peculiar Girl

_**Hey guys! So, for the first time in this story, I'm going to write from someone else's POV. The little underlined letter underneath the chapter's title indicates whose perspective it is from. Hope y'all enjoy!**_

 _\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XX_**

 _A Peculiar Girl_

 ** _n_**

The sun was already high in the sky when Minho decided that it was time for us to have a break. He was obviously the better Runner out of the two of us and without a doubt could have gone on much longer than me, but he always stopped at the same moment. Whenever he noticed I was starting to run out of breath, he slowly came to a halt and said, "We're gonna take a break right shucking here."

"I'm not tired already," I said, turning to look at him while I crossed my arms in front of my chest as a protest. It wasn't true - sweat was running down my forehead and soaking my shirt. I didn't want him to stop for me anytime I looked slightly out of order. Unfortunately, it didn't work: he was already sitting against the wall, searching through his backpack for his lunch.

"But I am," he lied, fishing a couple of sandwiches out of his bag. I shrugged, but moved over to sit down opposite of him anyway. You couldn't move Minho's ass during lunch break even if it was the bloody end of the world.

We sat together in silence for a little while, munching on our lunch. I couldn't help but think about what would happen if a Griever turned around the corner, but those thoughts quickly made place for visions of last night.

Minho spoke before I could. "I wonder how Harps is doin' right now," he said. A smug grin stretched across his face. "She was absolutely wasted last night. A-shucking-dorable."

I couldn't help but laugh at his comment, even though the matter was pretty serious in my eyes. I was a bit upset with Frypan and Gally for acting so irresponsible, but in the end, it had been her own fault. She couldn't have. She _shouldn't_ have.

"It was pretty stupid of her though," I said, looking up at Minho. "Didn't you see Robin there too? Remember what happened with those two?"

"Remember what you told Alby?" Minho asked, mimicking me. "You're not her shucking babysit, are ya?"

"No, but-"

"Exactly." Minho leaned back against the wall, shielding his eyes with his free hand from the burning sun. "She's not anyone's responsibility. Besides, she looked like she was having the time of her shucking life." He grinned, remembering the broad smile that had covered her face.

"I don't mean to be rude," I said, quirking up an eyebrow. "But you almost smacked Gally in the face because he broke her nose. Don't tell me you weren't worried."

Minho huffed before taking a big bite of his second sandwich. "I wawn't dat angwy," he said with his mouth full, making it hard for me to understand him. "And beswides, he was a swinthead awyway."

I rolled my eyes, only after taking a swig out of my water bottle. "Whatever you say, shuckface."

 _\- # -_

Dawn was already approaching when Minho and I returned to the Glade. We were the last Runners to come back, and the Gladers could sigh in relief again, glad that no one would be stuck outside the Walls during the night. Most of them were already seated in the dining area, slurping from Frypan's infamous every-soup-in-one soup. Subconsciously, I scanned the crowd for Harper.

Minho nudged my shoulder. "She's over there, slinthead." He nodded over to a table further off from the others - not her usual. Her back was turned to us, but I could see that she was making big gestures with her hands. On the other side of the table sat Alby, whose face was as serious and cold as always. He didn't seem very interested in what she had to say, but that was just his way with most of the Gladers.

"What are they talking about?" I said, squinting my eyes as if that would help me understand.

"What do you think?" Minho rolled his eyes. "She's getting a scolding."

"Alby isn't the one talking."

"We know that girl by now. No way she's going to sit there silently while he talks klunk about her."

"True that," I said, my eyebrows furrowing together into a frown. "I thought he didn't care that much."

"He just wants an excuse to get mad at her." Minho sighed. "He's harsher on her than on any greenie we've had before."

"She's a girl."

"So?" Minho asked with a look of disbelief on his face, as if what I said was so strange.

Was it?

The boy had a point. The only trouble she had really caused us was with the ram, which had been more amusing than troubling. And last night, of course, but was that really our business? In my eyes, she hadn't done anything to make Alby this angry. Then I remembered the nights she had spent comforting me, and suddenly every little thing I could have held against her disappeared.

"She's nice," I said, shrugging.

"She's shucking great," Minho mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear it. He ran a hand through his hair, something he often did when he was impatient or frustrated. "Let's just get some dinner. She'll tell us later."

But while standing in line, I couldn't help but look over to Harper and Alby. Now she was the one listening intently, though her eyes spoke a thousand words. Even a blind man could see that she was upset, though upset might have been an understatement. I almost expected steam to come out of her ears and flames to burst out of her eyes.

When I finally reached Frypan, he handed me a bowl of every-soup-in-one soup and as I turned to walk away, he said, "Take care of that girl."

I looked over my shoulder and nodded, before I started to make my way over to where Minho was sitting. Sometimes we sat with the other Keepers, but today we sat with Lennon and Christian. The two of them seemed to be building up a friendship with Harper as well. Until we started to sit with them at dinner, I had never really spoken to them, but they turned out to be nice guys. Dean was sitting at the table as well, but he didn't seem engaged in the conversation.

They very strategically had picked out a table not too far off from Harper and Alby, so we could keep a close eye on them. Even though Lennon and Christian had a soft conversation themselves, they looked over to where they were seated every once in a while as well.

"Forget about it." I sighed. "Let's just eat this klunk. We still have some mapping to do."

The boy nodded and picked up his spoon, though he didn't eat, which was strange for Minho. The one thing he loved more than himself was food. After eating a bit of soup, Minho hissed my name. I looked at him strange, but he urged me to look over to the other table.

Harper wasn't sitting anymore - the bench she had been sitting on had flipped over from her suddenly standing up. Alby was looking up at her, a frown crawling onto his face. He opened his mouth to speak a couple of times, but was cut off by the girl in front of him every time he tried to speak. Within the blink of an eye, she had stepped away from the table, bowl of soup in her hands, and had started making her way over to us. Minho and I quickly averted our gaze, but we both knew that she had seen us watching.

"How did he ever even get in charge of this place?" Her question was followed by a frustrated sigh. Her cheeks were flushed red and her jaw tensed and untensed every couple of seconds.

"Democracy," Minho said dryly, before finally starting on his dinner.

"At the time he was very much suited for the job." I chewed on my lip, reminiscing past moments from the Glade. "Alby was the first one to come with a plan when eight of us were first put here," I continued softly.

"What are you-" Harper tried to cut me off, but I shushed her with a hand gesture.

"It was Alby, Minho, Frypan, Johnny, Daniel, Clint, Frank and me." I could see that she didn't know everyone I mentioned, and I decided to spare her by not telling her that they were long dead. "We were the first ones to come up the Box. Of course, it was chaos at first. We barely had any food and only started building a shelter weeks after we arrived. Alby took lead and no one complained."

"When did you first start exploring outside the Glade?" Harper asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"About a year and a half ago," I replied. "Why?"

"Then, why haven't you found an exit yet?"

Minho and I looked at each other, and the both of us had to stop ourselves from telling her that there was no way out.

 _\- # -_

 ** _So, how did you guys like that? Want to see more from Newt's perspective? Or even from someone else's? *wink wink*. Everyone who reviewed, thank you! They bring a smile to my face :)._ _percabeth9349 , I honestly haven't really thought about it. In my mind, Clint is, but I don't even know why. I mean, there are only two Med-Jacks. Why would you have a Keeper for two people? Anyway, lemme know if you have any thoughts or ideas. Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	21. Chapter XXI: Something Going On

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXI_**

 _Something Going On_

Days passed without anything very exciting happening. The highlight of my week was showing Dean around the Kitchens during his job trials, but he ended up being a Trackhoe after all. I couldn't help but sneak a peek in the direction of the Gardens every once in a while, worried about the younger boy. Zart seemed to take good care of him and I had to remember myself to thank him during dinner.

I chopped vegetable after vegetable mindlessly, my thoughts drifting off every once in a while. Tonight, I would be running with Minho again in the Deadheads. Inbetween Dean's arrival and today, we only had gone running once, and not even for long. Somehow, he still thought I had the ambition to become a Runner. That while I stumbled over every possible branch or tree root and had to catch my breath after only a few minutes. It was nice though, to have someone who had faith in you. A somewhat sense of safety rushed over me at the thought.

Frypan's voice shook me out of my daydream. "Whacha thinking about?"

"Nothing really," I said a little too quickly. "Just tired."

The Cook saw right through my little lie, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Minho _was_ right. When are y'all getting married?"

I rolled my eyes, but only after grinning sheepishly. I had almost forgotten Minho's little announcement. I pretended to be thinking very deeply, leaning my head on my hands, and said, "As soon as he asks me."

"Shuckface hasn't asked you yet?" Frypan almost looked genuinely surprised. I didn't question it. "He's missing out." He sent a quick wink in my direction, before turning back to his task: peeling potatoes. I hated doing it, and so did most of the other Cooks, but Frypan said that he found it somewhat relaxing and easy to do. At the moment, not many Cooks were in the Kitchen. Those that were, were engaged in their own convesations.

"Stop it, asshat," I grumbled, though heat rushed to my cheeks. Even though it had become casual for him to jokingly flirt with me, it made me blush every time he said something like that. He was actually one of the nicest boys in the Glade, always making sure I felt comfortable. I really hoped we could be good friends.

"C'mon Harper, even that's shucking cute."

"What?" I asked, quirking up an eyebrow. I turned my head to look at him, nearly cutting myself in the finger.

" _Asshat_ ," he repeated, mimicking my voice and facial expression. "Do you even know how to swear?"

"Newt tried to teach me my first night."

"He had to _teach_ you how to swear?" Frypan quirked up an eyebrow. "You're a strange one."

"I called Gally a shuckface, though," I said, grinning quietly.

Frypan furrowed his eyebrows together before bursting into laughter. "I remember that! That was hilarious."

"My broken nose wasn't so hilarious," I mumbled, subconsciously bringing my fingers to my face.

"True that. You're too shucking nice to forgive him."

"That punch was just his fight-or-flight response. I mean, flighting wasn't exactly an option."

"True that also," the Cook said, rubbing his chin while he thought. "He's a good shank." He suddenly frowned, before accusingly pointing his index finger at me. "We're off topic! Don't try to change the subject on me."

"What subject?"

A smirk crawled onto Frypan's face. "You and Newt."

 _\- # -_

I spent the rest of the afternoon convincing Frypan that nothing was going on between Newt and me. In the end, he still didn't sound like he believed it, and I just let it be. What did I care if he thought we were together or something?

Actually, I kind of cared. Which is why I asked Minho about his opinion when we were walking through the Deadheads together. I didn't think anyone in the Glade knew Newt better than him, or knew _me_ better. When we almost reached our usual starting spot, I turned to him and asked, "Do you think there is something going on between Newt and me?"

If I had blinked then, I would have missed the slight tense in Minho's jaw. My throat tightened, even though he hadn't said anything yet. Just the slight change in his attitude made me anxious for the answer.

He answered my question with a question. "Why are you asking _me_?"

"Well, Frypan was interrogating me earlier today about all that and I thought you would know because, I mean, you're Newt's best friend," I blurted out. "And mine also," I quickly added, just for the emphasis. If anyone knew, it would be Minho.

"Ew," he jokingly said, earning a punch to the shoulder from me. "Kidding, Harps." I waited for him to say more, but he stayed silent. For once, I wished I could read people's minds. What was he thinking about?

"Well?" I asked after a while, quirking up an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well," he began, "You two are friends, obviously. And you like each other."

"Like, or _like_ like?"

Minho turned to me, his expression a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Hell woman, I don't know. How am I supposed to know if he likes you? If _you_ like him?" He turned his gaze back to the path and shrugged. "I suggest you ask the shank himself."

My teeth played with my bottom lip as I thought. Wouldn't that be weird? Extremely awkward? I didn't have to think long for an answer.

"How about you ask him?"

Minho frowned as he turned to look at me once again. "Do you _like_ like him or something?"

I jumped to my defense too quick. "No, no, _no_. Definitely not." The boy quirked up an eyebrow in suspicion. "I'm just curious."

"Well, if-," Minho began, but quickly cut himself off and grabbed my wrist, pulling me off the path and into the bushes with him. I opened my mouth to protest, but the Runner sent me a cold look, from which I got that I had to shut my mouth and wait for him to tell me when I could open it again.

Ten, or maybe twenty seconds passed in silence, and I was about to ask him what was going on, when two voices came into earshot. This was kind of strange, because Minho and I were usually training in the deepest part of the Deadheads, where nobody usually came. I tried my hardest to make out what they were saying, but they were too far off. They slowly came closer though, and whevener a twig snapped or a leaf crunched underneath one of the boys' shoes, shivers went down my spine. I looked at Minho for any explanation or support at all, but he had his eyes closed, head towards the ground. He was trying to eavesdrop as well.

I tried to do the same as him, but squinting my eyes shut didn't make me hear them any better. Their voices sounded familiar though, too familiar. I furrowed my eyebrows together as I thought. And as I thought, the two boys came closer, until they were almost past the point where Minho and I were hidden. It was so easy to keep my eyes shut now, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I opened them.

The first thing I noticed were their hands. Their fingers were interlocked, which surprised me because I hadn't seen such closeness before in the Glade. I turned to Minho again, but he hadn't moved an inch, not even opened his eyes, which meant that I was on my own here.

The second thing I noticed were the way they talked. Not even what they were saying, but the actual _way_ in which they spoke. There was such gentleness and softness interlaced within their words, I couldn't help but think they were in love.

The third thing I noticed was that the hands belonged to Christian and Lennon. I nearly fell over in shock, though it wasn't a bad kind. I averted my gaze quickly, suddenly ashamed that I was spying on my friends like this.

I tugged on Minho's sleeve before whispering as softly as I could, "Let's get out of here."

The boy shook his head. "They're not far away enough yet."

"Then I'll go without you," I said, and with that, I turned my back to the path and as quietly as I could, made my way back to the Glade. Within seconds, Minho was already by my side, grabbing ahold of my sleeve.

"You shouldn't just leave without me."

"We needed to get out of there anyway. Otherwise, we would have spent the rest of our training time quietly sitting in those bushes," I said matter-of-factly, tugging my sleeve out of his grasp. "Besides, didn't you _see_ who they were?"

He stayed silent, but didn't meet my eyes. He knew.

"We should keep it a secret," I said.

The slightest of a smile tugged at Minho's lips. "Did you suspect _that_ though? I mean, everyone knows that they're friends, but-"

" _Secret_ ," I repeated, trying to not get him too excited on the subject. From what I knew, Minho could be quite the blabbermouth.

"Yeah, whatever," Minho replied, rolling his eyes. He looked down at his watch. "We have spent half an hour of _my_ precious time not running, so I suggest we start doing something now."

"First one to make it back to the Glade."

And with that, I took off.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Hi guys! You know what I'm going to say already - sorry for the late update. No one is really interested in my apology probably, so let's get started on What The Hell Happened In This Chapter. Some Frypan lovin', because who doesn't like some good ol' Frypan? Then, Deadheads, and wait - what, Lennon and Christian are a thing now? Christion? Lennian? I got this idea a while ago, and was pretty excited about it, so why not bring it up as soon as I get the chance. BookRain, same here. Protective Newt is kind of cute, actually. Alby is just a first-class asshat. minstorai \- *Minho appears out of nowhere* "I'm _always _flawless." *disappears again*. Green Eyes Wander, no worries, glad you're enjoying the story. I'm probably going to throw in some Minho POV as well, so stay tuned! percabeth9349, I have actually read the series. Long story short: I used to love it, then not so much. I think the world V. Roth created is pretty cool, but I didn't like how cliché some of the protagonists were. She's a good writer though, even met her last year at an event! (she's very nice in person as well, but I got super shy, so I didn't talk to her much). TheDarkGirl007, thank you, thank you. Let me know what you guys think of this chap in the reviews. Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	22. Chapter XXII: The Dream

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXII_**

 _The Dream_

When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by light. Not annoying, too bright light, but warm and soothing light. It made me weary, and I almost closed my eyes again. I almost floated away again, but through my eyelashes, I suddenly noticed the flowers. Then my skin noticed how soft everything around me was, and I wriggled my feet, which I then saw were bare, into the earth. A wave of utter bliss washed over me, but was soon pulled back when I felt a single drop of water on my hand, and suddenly, an ocean was pouring down on me. The water tasted sweet on my lips, but slightly burned my eyes.

 _Rain_.

And then I realized that what was happening wasn't real, because it never, _ever_ , rained in the Glade. I suddenly became aware of the fact that I was dreaming, and in a split second, I went from sitting peacefully to falling and tumbling down a hole, which faintly reminded me of something, but I didn't know what. Everything happened so quickly, so I squeezed my eyes shut, telling myself that it was only a dream, but somehow it still felt like something was pulling me down.

After what could be seconds, minutes, hours, or maybe even days, I opened my eyes again, because someone was prying them open. I tried to lift my head, but I couldn't, like it was glued to the surface beneath me, which moments later I realized was a bed. The fingers that had been pulling at my eyelids, or the person they belonged to, were out of eyeshot. The only thing I saw was bright white - a ceiling? Something seemed off though, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

My throat felt raw all the sudden, but still I opened my mouth and let out an ear-shattering scream. I surprised myself even and quickly shut up, but the scream held on somehow, not fading or going away completely. Only after several heads appeared into vision it became silent all the sudden, which was even scarier maybe. I tried to recognize the faces, but whenever I focussed on one of them, the features completely disappeared, leaving me without anything. Even though I couldn't see their eyes, I knew that they were watching me.

Without a warning, the bed started to move, apparently pushed by the people that were studying me before. I could clearly hear wheels rolling smoothly roll over the floor. I could also faintly make out the sound of people talking. They were speaking softly and lowly, as if they were gossipping. About me?

White was still the only thing I could see, alternated by a flashing bright light every couple of seconds. Not the warm and soothing light, but the annoying, too bright light. It made my eyes feel like they were on fire, even when I had them closed. I still couldn't move my head and slowly it felt like I was suffocating, an invisible force pressing down on my chest.

It seemed like an eternity before we came to a halt, abruptly, and the weight was lifted off of my chest. I gasped, before taking in deep breaths, not even trying to lift my head at first. When I finally regained control, I slowly sat up, only to see that there was no one with me. The faceless people had all disappeared, leaving me alone in front of a big door, almost big enough to be called a gate. I looked back into the hallway, the way I came - it seemed to go on forever. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and hopped off, before making my way over to the door, which was only a couple of feet away. As I reached out to turn the handle, the door dissolved into thin air, right before my eyes. Stunned, even if it was a dream, I stepped into the room.

The room was big, but still small enough to give me an uneasy feeling. There was no furniture or colour. Just white. As if I hadn't seen enough of that colour already in the past couple.. _what_? I had no idea how much time had passed. I walked further into the room, studying the walls to see if there was anything off, but I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

I turned back towards where I came from, because my chances of escaping, or at least finding out what the hell was going on, were probably bigger in the hallway. Only when I had turned around, the doorway had disappeared. Instead, there was a wall. And in front of that wall were standing maybe a dozen of boys. Like the people from before, their faces were transparent, fading whenever I tried to figure out if I knew them.

I tried to go near them, but suddenly, something kept me frozen in place.

And suddenly, something heavy pulled at my hand.

At first, I didn't realize what it was, but it was a matter of seconds before I had lifted my hand, aimed, and shot one of the boys right through his head.

My heart was bleeding, begging my brain, telling my mind what horrible thing I had just done. Guilt, sadness, regret or grief even. But I didn't feel anything. I was as hard and cold as the stone graves in the Deadheads, and my head as dead as the bodies buried beneath them.

I shot the next boy too, and the boy after that as well.

It wasn't until I had to aim much lower than before that I recognized a face.

Brown eyes, which used to be fierce, were now filled with fear, pleading silently for his life. His skin was as dark as mine - not incredibly dark, but definitely not light either. He was much like me, strong yet so vulnerable. Porcelain hidden behind a mask of steel.

My arm was still stretched out, but suddenly, I found the strength to move my head and look at the other boys that were left. Their faces didn't distort anymore when I tried to look at them. I could now see very clearly whose friends I had just killed.

Like Dean, Newt was looking at me with sorrowful eyes. Minho's face sproke sorrow as well, but he was looking at me harshly, as if he was trying to win a staring competition. Lennon and Christian were holding hands and were also the only two not focused on me, but on each other, talking to each other softly. I frowned, suddenly panicked, looking at the boys whose heads I had already put a bullet through.

Frypan lay lifelessly on the ground, his bright blood standing out against the white surface of the floor and the wall. Next to him were other Gladers, whose name I maybe didn't know, but whose faces I definetily recognized.

I looked back at the boys that were still alive, _my friends_.

And then I realized that it was just a dream.

 _You can't die in a dream, can you?_ I thought, before putting the gun to my own head and pulling the trigger.

 _\- # -_

 ** _This dream-idea suddenly came to me, and I had to write it. I'll just leave it unexplained for you to speculate :). Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	23. Chapter XXIII: Reversed Roles

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXIII_**

 _Roles Reversed_

For the first time in the month and a half that I had been here, I let myself cry.

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I wept, not silently, but fully. I couldn't even bring myself to consider Newt, who lay next to me. I turned around, now on my side and pressing my back against his. He couldn't afford losing any more sleep. But I knew Newt, and he couldn't help but turn around as well and pull me into his arms. He didn't say anything, but his warm breath in my neck slightly calmed me. I was save now.

In the first place I was here, ironically, to comfort Newt. I felt like his mental state was going down the hill and I had to keep an eye on him, even though I still didn't know what was actually going on with him. A lot of times I looked at him, when he wasn't with me, and his eyes were empty. A look much unlike before, when they reflected the sunlight, and _were_ the sunlight. Gravity seemed to pull the corners of his lips down, but whenever someone approached him, he pulled them back up with force. He didn't look genuine. I didn't know for how long this had been going on - I hadn't spent nearly as much time as others in the Glade - but I was scared to ask. Scared that he would maybe lash out in defence, because suddenly, he wouldn't be seen as strong anymore. I wanted to spare him that embarrassment, and mine too.

To be honest, I didn't really care about what the Gladers thought. Some of them must have seen me sneaking to here, but their judgements were not what I was concerned about. I had to take care of my friend, and if that meant sleeping by his side because he could hardly rest when alone, then so be it.

And now I was the one that needed comforting, whimpering into my hands to make as less sound as possible. Newt traced his fingers across my hairline, something I did for him as well when he was feeling down. I tried to concentrate on that, his skin against mine, his warmth, but somehow this made me tear up on the inside even more. I longed for _home._ But how could you desire something you couldn't even remember having?

"I'm sorry," I hiccuped, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.

"Nothing to be sorry for," Newt murmured into my hair, slightly tightening his grip around my waist.

"You need your sleep."

"You too." He gently turned me on my other side, so that I was nog facing him. Suddenly, he was so close, and for a split second, I wondered what would happen if I kissed him now. My cheeks turned red, which he, hopefully, wouldn't be able to see in the dark. I wasn't going to kiss him. I didn't even want to kiss him.

 _Did I?_

"What's going on?" He asked softly, his eyes filled with concern.

"I had the strangest dream," I whispered, now done with crying. My throat was raw, so the words were even softer than intended. The tears that still stained my cheeks were now cold, making me shiver, so I brushed the sleeve of my shirt over my face. "It felt so real."

Something in Newt's face shifted, as if he was remembering something. "I know how you feel." He pulled a hand through his hair, buying himself some time to think of something to say to me. I guess he was a bit confused about the reversed roles as well. "Do you wanna tell me what that bloody dream was about?"

"It doesn't matter," I replied, avoiding his gaze.

I could see in his expression that it mattered to him, or that he was at least curious, but he didn't ask any more about it. That was a thing I liked a lot about Newt; he respected people's boundaries - and was sure to keep away from them in future occasions. Unlike some of my other friends, Newt could handle the fact that some people had secrets.

"Are you okay now, though?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, because really didn't know. I couldn't help but see the bodies of dead Gladers whenever I closed my eyes, or the look of hate on Minho's face, or Dean's fearful expression. The dream was still so fresh in my mind.

"You can stay here for the rest of the night, if you want," he offered, his voice sounding slightly hopeful.

It was nice of him to let me stay. Usually, I went back to my own hammock if I woke up before him, which was early enough that people wouldn't notice that I had been gone during the night. I was very tempted to stay with him, because who wouldn't say yes to a warm bed and a friend to sleep next to? On the other hand, I didn't want anyone thinking that I had spent the night with him in any way more than friendly. Minho and Frypan already seemed to have some ideas of their own, and I definitely didn't want to make those any stronger.

"You know I can't," I whispered, though he must have heard the hesitation in my tone as well.

"Who shucking cares what they think?"

"I do."

Something shifted in his face; he looked hurt. I felt guilty, but I couldn't afford this. My Glade reputation wasn't exactly the best. Besides, I didn't really think Alby would approve. He _definitely_ wouldn't approve of any of this. If it was up to Alby, I would spend all of my free time in the Slammer.

"I don't want you to be on your own when you feel like this," he said, furrowing his eyebrows together.

Touché.

"I'll be fine."

Newt grinned softly, shaking his head. "Somehow, I don't believe you."

"I'm sorry." I lowered my gaze.

The blonde shrugged. "It's okay."

I sat up slowly and pulled the covers off of my legs. The cold air sent shivers down my spine and for a moment I thought about laying back down, but I stood up anyway and slipped my feet into my shoes. Surprising both Newt and myself, I leaned back down and hugged the boy tightly.

"I'll see you tomorrow at dinner," I said, shooting a look over my shoulder as I approached the door.

Newt smiled, despite my departure. "Good night."

I took one last glance at his face before leaving, not noticing the faint red light in the corner of the room.

 _\- # -_

 ** _t_**

I was shoken out of my daze by a polite knock on the door. At first, I was sort of frantic - we weren't supposed to fall asleep during research time, especially when studying the brain patterns. Then I looked around, and I noticed that I was the only one left in the observatory. The room was only illuminated by the light that came from my screen which showed the statistics of one of the subjects which I had been studying before, though I couldn't recall which one. I usually wasn't very invested in my work at the observatory, because only few of the subjects really sparked my interest. The boy from before my little nap obviously hadn't.

Without waiting for an answer, a woman stepped into the room. Even Chancellor Ava Paige, head of research - highest-ranking official in general, had gotten rid of her lab jacket and fancy dress, and was now wearing a plain shirt and jeans. For once, she looked a lot less tense and tight.

"Thomas," she addressed me, accompanied by a smile and a nod.

"Chancellor Paige," I said, too surprised by her sudden appearance to think of an excuse.

"Teresa told me you'd be here," she said, her voice calm, yet stern, as ever. She made her way over to where I sat and took the seat beside me. "They missed you in the community room after dinner." She laughed softly, as if she knew something I didn't. "She wouldn't go to sleep without knowing where you were."

"I'm sorry Miss."

"She's a very nice girl, isn't she?"

"She is," I said, nodding.

"I'm glad the two of you are friends. You make a good team."

I had known Teresa for as long as I could remember. We both came to WICKED when we were very young, which created a bond between us immediately. The Chancellor had already made it clear that she liked us together, as she often put us into the same research team. Our good teamwork was probably the result of us training together for years.

"She didn't reach out to me telepathically," I suddenly realized, and I frowned, because why hadn't she?

"Teresa told me that she didn't want to bother you. She knew that you were here, so she may have thought that you were doing some important studying." She grinned and I smiled sheepishly. At least the Chancellor wasn't angry that I had fallen asleep.

"I have-," I began, but a sudden, soft peeping interrupted me.

Our heads turned towards the screen, because this could only mean one thing - something was out of the ordinary. I quickly searched through frames, before I found the one that briefly kept track of the subjects' brain patterns. The scan in the far right corner was flickering on and off, which indicated that something strange was going on in the brain. I remembered that one to be the girl's, and even though I wasn't allowed to even _think_ it, I said, though with a questioning tone in my voice, "Harper?"

The Chancellor quirked up an eyebrow, but didn't mention it. We weren't supposed to speak of those who were sent into the Maze, no matter how good friends we had been before. I quickly clicked on her file, scanning through the information.

"Her brain is incredibly active," I concluded, looking at the parts that were lightening up. "Which is strange, because it's night."

"Very well," the Chancellor said, nodding approvingly. "Teresa succeeded in her task."

I turned to look at the woman. "How do you mean?"

"I asked her to imprint a pre-designed dream."

This surprised me. We usually never did this, unless a subject had been incredibly inactive or plainly useless for research. I knew that dreams weren't completely erased from the subjects brain, just in a way that they would never remember them the next morning. Pre-designed dreams, however, were meant to be remembered. This usually meant something bad.

"What sort of dream?"

"I let that up to Teresa," she said, her eyes scanning the screen. "It needed to include something thrilling, shocking even. We haven't seen much of subject A8 yet."

"That isn't true," I argued. "She has shown us multiple interesting brain patterns."

"You can't protect her anymore, Thomas," she said suddenly, a hint of anger in her voice. "She's just as much of a test subject as the others. I need you to remember that very well. Am I clear?"

For a couple of seconds, I was silent, taken aback slightly. ".. Yes, Chancellor."

Her attention was drawn back to the screen. We watched for maybe a minute before the frame stopped flickering. She woke up, and I silently hoped she was okay. I knew that Teresa had been cruel on her sometimes before she was sent away, so I suspected that she had given her a true nightmare. I made a mental note to ask her later.

"Get one of the beetles over there," the Chancellor commanded, drumming her fingers impatiently on the table.

Fortunately, there was a beetle just outside the building they called the Homestead, which I maneuvered over to where I had seen her sleep before. I frowned - her hammock was empty.

"She's not here," I said, pointing out the obvious.

"She might be inside with A7. I have seen them together at night before."

She said it so casually, but it lit a spark of jealousy inside of me. I moved the little machine inside, which wasn't very hard, even with all doors and windows closed. There were more than enough cracks in the building. There was even a joking bet going on about when it would collapse.

"Turn on the sound."

I did, and though I didn't hear anything at first, a faint crying came into earshot as I moved the beetle down the hall. I slid under the door in the room where I thought the sound I came from, and I was right; the weeping became much louder. I parked the beetle into the corner to observe the situation.

It was definitely Harper in the bed. I - anyone - could recognize that big hair anywhere. Her back was turned to me, but I could see her shoulders shaking. An arm was draped over her waist, pulling her close.

"Interesting," the Chancellor mumbled. "They have a very caring friendship."

"I see."

Because there was the girl I once loved, now in someone else's arms.

 _\- # -_

 ** _I am on a shucking roll! I really enjoyed writing out of Thomas' perspective, but the real question is, did you guys enjoy reading it? Did you guys enjoy this chapter at all? Guest, thank you :). nya pearl, thank you as well, here's another update! percabeth9349, fortunately, it was a dream! And if it means what you think it means? You'll find out about that sooner or later ;). I am really jealous that you actually got to meet Shai and Theo, they seem very nice! I haven't watched or read the Vampire Diaries, but that is mainly because I don't really like the supernatural genre. Anyway, wait - Thomas used to _love _her? As in_ love _love? What will happen next on "Harper, the girl that everyone seems to like except for Alby because he's an asshat"? Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	24. Chapter XXIV: Small Talk

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXIV_**

 _Small Talk_

 ** _m_**

I breathed in deeply as I walked out of the Homestead and into the cool morning air. A chill went down my spine, but I knew that soon enough I wouldn't be this cold anymore. I'd be complaining about the heat and the sweat running down my back instead once the Doors opened. As usual, I was up before Newt, but this meant I had more time to check my bags and gear. Sometimes his thoughts were everything, resulting in me having to share my lunch and water, which I wasn't really fond of.

I liked how peaceful the Glade was in the morning. I only had free time in the evening, when everyone else was talking and laughing loudly about their day. The only one up with me now was Frypan, who was already busy preparing breakfast for the others, and one other Cook. I jogged over to the Kitchens, shortly greeting the Keeper of the Cooks with a nod of my head.

"What's for lunch?" I asked, shortly peering into the Kitchens to see who the other person inside was. To my disappointment, it wasn't Harper, but some boy I didn't know well - James, Jay?

Frypan must have seen my disappointment because he laughed, slapping me on the shoulder. "Your girlfriend's not here, shank," he said, an all-knowing smirk on his face. He sent a quick wink my way. "She has breakfast shift tomorrow morning though, be sure not to miss her then."

"Shucking funny, slinthead," I replied bitterly, rolling my eyes. "I still don't know what's for lunch, though."

Frypan huffed. "That attitude ain't getting you no lunch."

"Fine," I said, scratching the back of my head. "Could you, please, tell me, please, what's for lunch, _please_?"

"Ham and cheese," Frypan said, just as he grabbed he ingredients. He carefully put everything together, like it would taste any shucking different if it wasn't in the right place, before folding it into brown paper and handing it over to me. All the while, he kept talking. "I know she ain't your girlfriend. Bro code and all that."

I folded my arms in front of my chest and raised my eyebrows. "How do you mean?"

"Well, Newt and you are friends right?" He asked, to which I nodded. "Exactly."

I shrugged. "She's not his girlfriend."

"But it would be cute, right?"

"Yeah, sure," I said, trying to sound uninterested. Right on cue, a movement near the Homestead caught my eye. Frypan followed my gaze, and our mouths nearly fell open. Out of the building came Harper, looking tired and slightly disheveled. She rubbed her eyes and sauntered over to where the other Gladers slept. She climbed back into her own hammock and seemed to fall right back asleep, and I frowned. We weren't even that far away from her, but she hadn't looked our way once. For some reason, I hoped she hadn't seen us.

"What the hell?" I muttered, turning back to Frypan. "You know what she was doing there?"

"There ain't much to do in there, except sleep," he answered. Suddenly, his eyes turned big, and he slapped my shoulder all excitedly as if he just realized something. "She was with Newt. She was totally with him. That would explain-"

I interrupted him, shaking my head. "Definitely not."

"Why not?"

"Because..," I began hesitantly. Maybe Frypan was right. What else would she be doing in there? The only person she really knew in there was Newt, and maybe Gally, but she wasn't friends with him as much as she was with the former. "Shuck."

"Told ya, slinthead." Frypan grinned at my face. "What's got ya bothered?"

"Nothing," I said, narrowing my eyes. Why would I be bothered?

"Jealousy doesn't make your face any shucking prettier," he commented, turning to grab the ingredients for the other Runners' lunches. A couple of them were now waking up, quickly jumping out of their hammocks and getting ready.

"Why would I be jealous?" I furrowed my eyebrows together. "She can do whatever the shuck she wants."

"C'mon, don't lie to yourself," Frypan said, leaning in closer and gesturing for me to do the same. "Shuckfaces would do a lot to spend the night with her."

"Speak for yourself."

"Nah man, we're friends. She's pretty cool, ya know?"

"I know."

"Of course you do, shank."

I was about to open a mouth to throw a snarky remark at him, but suddenly his gaze moved to something over my shoulder. His eyes widened, and he quickly shushed me with a movement of his hands. He nodded at what was behind me and I turned my head to look, confused. Newt closed the door of the Homestead behind him, and at first I couldn't see what was wrong with him - his back was turned to me. But as he started to make his way over to the Kitchens, I noticed the bags underneath his eyes. His hair was all messed up and he all in all looked like shucking klunk.

"Rough night?" Frypan asked all innocently.

"You could call it that," Newt mumbled, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He leaned against the counter, looking into the Kitchens like I had done when I arrived. "Where's Harper?"

Frypan and I looked at each other, raising our eyebrows, before I replied, "Sleepin'."

"I thought her breakfast shift was today." He shrugged. "Guess not."

"Tomorrow," the Cook corrected him.

We chit-chatted for a little while until a loud rumble indicated the opening of the Doors. Most Runners were already in place, so Newt and I quickly made our way over to where we were supposed to leave. I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder at Frypan, who gave me an all-knowing smirk.

 _\- # -_

We ran in silence. He seemed miserable, and I got more upset as the hours passed, that he wouldn't talk to me. That he hadn't told me. I mean, we were pretty much best mates. I kind of deserved to know what was going on, right? Every one in a while I said something about the Maze, or how I hoped the Grievers wouldn't catch us this time or something, but each time he stayed silent or gave a short, blunt response.

When it was time for lunch, I had enough.

Even before I had fully come to a halt, I turned to look at him, a frown on my face. "What's up with you?" I asked, a little too suddenly and angrily.

He didn't say anything for a couple of seconds, but then muttered, "I really shucked up."

" _What_?"

Newt slumped against the wall, not even caring to take off his backpack. He pulled his knees up to his torso before wrapping his arms around them, hugging them against his chest tightly. "She didn't even want to bloody talk about it to me, you know. I've been her friend for these past month."

"What the shuck are you talking about?"

"She came back to me though. That must mean something."

"Harper?"

"She had a nightmare and she went away, but she came back. She was so sad," he said, nearly whispering the last words. I didn't really understand - a nightmare? As far as I knew, no one ever knew anything about their dreams. For a moment, I was actually kind of jealous that she got to remember her dream, but then I felt bad - Newt said that it made her sad. I sat down against the opposite wall.

"Why was she with you in the first place?" I frowned. "Did she tell you about that nightmare?"

Newt didn't seem to hear my questions and kept on blabbering, like he had lost his shucking mind. "She came back, but she wouldn't talk to me or anything. And I couldn't tell her anything, but she was the only one I could talk to. Maybe she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," I said, surprised. "Why else would she stay with you?"

"Because she knows how pathetic I am," he said, lowering his gaze.

"You're talking klunk, shank," I said, nervously grinning. I wasn't really sure what he was trying to get at, but from the sound of it, it couldn't be anything good. Honestly, I was a bit worried. Newt was my best friend after all.

Suddenly, Newt jumped up, accusingly pointing a finger at me. "You don't even understand. No one understands, I'm going absolutely nuts here!" He tapped his forehead. "You can't say anything about it if you haven't seen for yourself."

"Seen what?" I asked, confused.

I never got to hear the answer, because by this time, he had already taken off.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Chapter 24, aka The Chapter Newt Went Absolutely Nuts. I'm trying to make a bit of progress with this story, so you might be able to already kind of predict what the next few chapters are going to be.. Personally not really a fan of this chapter, but I really wanted to get this out, so here it is anyway lol. This poet, I'm really glad you like Lennon and Christian! I try very hard to keep this story a bit unique and original, so I'm glad you think it is :). District DivergentPotterhead, thank you *blushes*! percabeth9349, always good to hear from you ;). Very much wow indeed. Now I do think it would be a bit over the top to have a love-square (is that what you would call that?), but some past love may be of influence.. I love those awkward moments as well, so there'll be more for sure :). My favourite Glader is probably Minho, because c'mon, who doesn't like sassy asshole Minho. Anyway, y'all let me know what you think! Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	25. Chapter XXV: The Jump

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXV_**

 _The Jump_

 ** _n_**

I had thought about it before.

Only now it occurred to me, standing alone in one of the immense corridors of the Maze. Nothing could stop me from climbing up the ivy, tangling myself in the leaves, and looking out over everything. Not even Minho - he was nowhere to be seen. He probably thought I'd get back by myself. He didn't bother looking for me, because I knew my way around as much as he did. But I didn't intend to come back, and by the time he realized that, it would probably already be too late. And even though I knew my friend would never forgive himself if I died today for not looking after me, I still gazed up.

My eyes traveled along the plants that grew in the cracks of the wall, along the stone that was firmly pressed together, standing strong to keep us in. Or to keep others out? I've wondered about that. What if we were some of the only people left in the whole wide world? What if we were here for our own safety? I knew Alby and Minho wouldn't listen to that; it would only anger them further that we couldn't get out. Only few would understand probably. I think Harper would. Frypan would, and Harper's friends would too. Dean would, but only because he has been here for such a short amount of time. I guess he'd believe anything if it sounds good, just to shut out what might be the truth.

I slowly put my hand on the wall. Shivers ran down my spine upon feeling the cold stone against my warm hand. I closed my eyes and noticed the way the sand crept between my fingers, and the sun only lighting up half of my face, the rest of the beams blocked. A Griever could turn around the corner any second and devour me, and I wouldn't even care. I had never even seen one, and the ones that had, never lived to tell about them. Only when it was dark, when everything was quiet, you could hear their moans and whirrs, mixed in with the groaning of the ever-changing Maze. I lay awake for nights, not sure if I heard them or if it was just my imagination. Honestly, they scared the bloody klunk out of me.

I wrapped both hands around veins of ivy, pulling them to see how strong they were. Before I knew it, I was climbing up the wall, entangling myself in the plants. Only now I realized, that this maybe could be our way out. Climb our way to the top and go on from there. I doubted that, though. Gazing up, I noticed that the ivy at the top wasn't as thick and as much as towards the bottom.

Whenever my feet slipped, the muscles in my arms burned, screaming in my head that I had to let go. But if I let go now, I wouldn't fall hard enough. I'd break a bone, maybe, but I would never be able to do the damage I intended to do. My breathing was haggled and rough, as if I had been running at full speed up until this point. I wanted to wipe the sweat from my forehead, but I was afraid that if I let go with one hand, the other would soon follow.

I struggled for many more minutes before I finally reached the spot I had aimed for. I looked down nervously into the corridor; it was so small suddenly. If I wanted, I could still climb down. If I wanted, I could still try to make something of my life in the Glade. But I was sure now - I didn't want that. Anything was better than going back there, trapped again, not only in the Glade itself but also in myself. I didn't want to be trapped anymore, and now, I finally had the chance to escape.

I counted to hundred, and promised myself I'd jump at one.

Before I knew it, I was at one, and my breath hitched.

"Newt!" My name echoed around the corridor, the sound reflected and played with by the walls. My eyes widened at the sound of Minho's voice, though I couldn't see him yet. I knew that he'd get here soon, because most of the corridors around here were dead ends right now. I closed my eyes, silent tears slipping down my cheeks. I just hoped that in the end, my friends would escape. And not like I did.

As a tiny figure turned around the corner, I let go.

 _\- # -_

 _ **h**_

I was the first one out of the Kitchen, though quickly followed by Frypan, when panic-filled yells carried throughout the Glade. I wasn't sure who it was - all I knew that it was coming from the Maze, and that couldn't mean anything good. I shot a worrying look over my shoulder at Frypan, who shook his head. He didn't know either.

More and more boys were dropping their work and making their way over to the source of the sound. To my left I heard a door slam open, and Alby came stomping out, looking beyond annoyed. He caught me looking and for once didn't shoot me an angry look. He pointed towards the North Door, before suddenly starting to run. I followed him, also running as fast as I could, while frantically looking around. Most of the Runners had already been back. It was usual for Minho and Newt to stay out a little longer, but especially with the chaos now, something must have happened.

My legs carried me all the way to the Door, stronger because of the training I had done with Minho. The other Cooks followed after Frypan, though he tried to keep them a little at bay. I caught sight of Dean, who was standing with Zart. Quickly, I made my way over to them. Upon reaching them I shortly kneeled down to give Dean a quick, comforting hug, before turning to the boy beside him.

"Do you know what is going on?" I asked him quietly, my eyebrows furrowing together in concern. Just then, a couple of Gladers, though mostly Runners, ran past me through the Door and into the Maze, leaving me even more confused.

"I don't know, I really don't," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I heard the yells, and I came over to see." As the sounds were getting closer, I could hear another voice interlaced with the louder one. Through the yells, you could hear a pained kind of moaning, groaning, sometimes alternated by high-pitched wailing. I quickly told the two boys goodbye, before making my way over to the Maze as well.

Right when I was trying to push past some of the people crowding there, I caught a glimpse of Minho's face, covered with sweat and utter panic. He was struggling to keep moving, and only seconds later I noticed that he was carrying something. Someone.

A flash of blonde hair made me crumple on the inside.

 _\- # -_

 ** _So that just happened. I still feel so sad for Newt, even though he's a fictional character. On a brighter note, we only need seven more reviews before we hit a hundred. Let's see if we can get that before next chap ;). I liked receiving those long reviews, so keep those going! I'm very happy that a lot of people seem to like what I've done with Christian and Lennon. I wasn't exactly sure what they could do at first, but I didn't just want to put in one OC. I always find it fun to get to know more people than just the main OC and the guys were already know from the books. *evilly grinning and rubbing hands together* So, you seem to be a bit divided on the ship of this story. Me too, lol. Maybe there'll be a poll or something to decide .. Nothing has been settled yet! Keep guessing :)! Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	26. Chapter XXVI: Broken Hearts

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXVI_**

 _Broken Hearts_

For nearly two weeks, nobody was allowed inside the Med-Jacks' hut. Not even Alby, who had talked to Clint and Jeff both, nearly pleading them to let him in. Well, Alby didn't plead, of course. His face was serious as always, like he wasn't much affected by what had happened. But his eyes told me otherwise; filled with concern and fear. Though it didn't exactly fit the situation, I couldn't help but laugh at him. When he wasn't trying to convince the Med-Jacks to let him in, he paced back and forth in front of the building with his arms behind his back, stern. Only when things escalated like this, he'd care.

I felt bad for the new greenie. Earlier today, the alarm rung. The arrival was a good distraction the first few hours, even for me. If I remembered correctly, the boy's name was Rich. Unlike our previous greenie, Rich was tall and pale, and much older than a lot of the boys already here. I didn't get to talk to him much, but he seemed nice. When everyone left to worry about Newt again, I left the boy with Dean. I couldn't bother explaining to him what was going on - even thinking about it made my throat tighten. I wasn't sure if Dean knew either; I wasn't even sure if anyone really knew what had happened. Newt's secret weighed heavy, and I couldn't afford to keep it, as much as I wanted to.

After dinner I approached Minho, who had been distant since what had happened. I didn't exactly know what he knew, but from the look on his face when he saw me, it couldn't be anything good. Ignoring his expression, I put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze, before I asked, "How are you?"

"Have been better," he said, eyeing my hand but not shaking it off, which I was grateful for. Even though I hadn't seen Minho much, I had seen him fidgeting with his fingers at dinner, and I had seen him running his hands through his hair much more than usual. Those things he did when he was nervous seemed to have increased.

"I need to talk to you." I looked around to see if anyone could hear us. "As in, alone. It might be important."

Without saying anything, Minho grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the Deadheads. I nearly fell over because of his fast pace, but somehow regained my balance. "Where are-," I began, but he rudely cut me off.

"Slim it." I could almost feel the harshness of his words. It sent shivers down my spine. He knew.

After what could have been two minutes at most, we reached a small wooden building. I had never actually seen it before, though I had already been in the Glade for two months. Minho let go of my wrist, and I almost sighed in relieve, shaking my hand to make the blood flow again. He retrieved a small key from his pocket and unlocked the door, before unpatiently gesturing for me to go in.

I crashed into a wall before I could turn to look at him. My first instinct was to flee, but he put both his hands next to my head, blocking any escape route. Minho and I had had arguments before, but never had I been scared of him like this. His face was barely inches from mine. Up close, I could feel his warm breath on my forehead and see the frustration in his eyes. He definitely knew.

"Why didn't you shucking tell me?" He spat, slamming one of his hands into the wall. The sound echoed in my head, a wave of dizziness washing over me. I flinched away, even though I knew that Minho would never put his hands on me. I hoped so, at least. "You knew, didn't you? You knew that he was going to do it."

"I would have tried to stop him if I knew, wouldn't I?" I was hurt that he thought I would just let Newt jump off a wall. I hadn't known him for nearly as long as Minho did, of course, but I had grown to like him - I considered him a friend, Minho too. And I didn't want to lose two of my friends like this. "How could I possibly know that he wanted to end his life?"

"He trusted you with himself," Minho said, shaking his head as if he was confused, but not backing away. "I don't understand why."

"What do you mean?"

"He barely knows you. We've been mates since the beginning."

I felt bad for him. He sounded actually upset that he hadn't come to him with his problems. "I guess that's how scared he felt. I may not know him as well as you do, but I know that Newt doesn't like feeling weak, or that he doesn't want people to think he's weak." I took a deep breath, trying to regain myself. Only now I felt the lump in my throat. "He doesn't only need to stay strong for himself, but also for the rest of the Glade. That's a very big responsibility, and you and I both know that if no one else is going to do it, take care of everyone, then he will. He doesn't want you to worry."

"I'm worrying now," Minho muttered under his breath, and I couldn't help but laugh. The boy quirked up an eyebrow. "What?"

"I never thought you were capable of that," I said. "Worrying about others."

"I'm shucking human. Any normal shank does that klunk."

"You're a boy, for God's sake."

Minho let out a short chuckle, almost as if he couldn't believe what I just said. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"For one, you're pretty unsensitive. To be honest, I can't imagaine you dealing with the stuff Newt deals with."

Minho raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in front of his chest, finally giving me a little space to breathe. His eyes were still angry, but not as filled with rage as minutes before. "You have no idea what I deal with." He narrowed his eyes, trying to study my face as much as I was trying to study his. Anything I said could set him off again, so I had to be cautious with my words.

"I honestly doubt that it could be as bad as Newt's mental state," I said, fiddling my hands behind my back. "I don't know what happened to him that made him so skittish, but it can't be anything light."

That was the wrong thing to say. "I have to lie to people every day!" He yelled, his harsh words causing me to back into the wall again. "I have to make sure everyone keeps believing that we are going to escape this shucking hell, and I spend every day doing this useless job just because I care! You can't just tell me I don't, and nearly get Newt killed, just because you think you're something special! You can't always be shucking right, Harper."

Though I was very confused about the whole escaping-this-shucking-hell thing, I couldn't contain my own anger. "This is not about me being right, you know. And don't you dare say I got Newt killed, because I helped him. I talked to him when he was upset and needed my comfort. I don't think he can say the same for you, can he?" I regretted my words as soon as they came out of my mouth. We had both gone too far and we both knew it, but were too stubborn to actually admit it.

"Take that back," Minho said, hurt interlaced with his voice. He accusingly pointed a finger at me. "No, actually, I'm done with your klunk, Harper. Figure yourself out." With that, he turned around and stormed out of the hut, slamming the door for effect.

I stood there, stunned and left with a thought; _How could I mend two broken hearts?_

 _\- # -_

 ** _Guest, TheDarkGirl007 and This poet, thank you for your sweet reviews, they really made me smile :). bridgetlynn, those are two damn long reviews, man. I'll have to agree with you on the way Alby is portrayed. I think that in a lot of fanfictions, people went with the movie too much (which isn't bad) and made Alby a nice guy. That's exactly what I was trying to avoid in this fanfiction, so I hope I didn't disappoint you ;). I also think that sticking a couple of teenagers in a maze isn't exactly what I would do to find a cure for a deadly virus, but hey, you need to somehow build an interesting story. However, I do think Teresa isn't that bad. I actually prefer her over Brenda. From my point of view, she tried to do what she thought was right in order to protect her friends. Anyway, end of the review of the reviews. I was kind of planning on this fight, because Minho always finds a reason to get upset (though I kind of think he has actually the right to be here). To find out what happens next in 'Another One of Those Girl in the Glade Story That Is Somehow Trying To Be Unique', favourite/follow/review! Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	27. Chapter XXVII: Promise

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXVII_**

 _Promise_

Dinner the next days were lonely, no matter how hard Christian and Lennon tried to cheer me up. I doubted that they knew exactly what was going on, but Newt's absence couldn't be ignored. I had somewhat informed Dean, who reacted surprisingly strong, though I could see that it affected him as well. It wasn't like he knew Newt very well, but I guess that was just his influence. Even if he wasn't your closest friend, he gave you the sense of him being there for you, and that was enough for Dean to care. I tried to spend as much time with him as possible during the day, but both of us had a job now. Usually we spent the evenings together, often with Rich and sometimes with Christian and Lennon. I didn't spend those on secretly running the Deadheads with Minho anymore.

Minho and I avoided each other as much as possible. We didn't speak; Minho was already out running when I woke up, and during dinner he sat with the Keepers, like he always had before we became friends. He disappeared afterwards. I could only guess that he escaped to the Deadheads, to the hut he had taken me a couple of days before. I figured it out to be the Map Room and once, I even tried to go in there myself, but to no avail. Only the Runners had a key to open the door, and I definitely wasn't going to ask any of them for one. Minho would know in no time, and it would only anger him further. Yet, whenever we were in the same area, we couldn't help but lock eyes for a couple of seconds every once in a while.

I had just finished lunch when Alby approached me one afternoon. Dean always shrinked a little when Alby was close, something I pitied him for. I felt kind of guilty. After all, Alby had given him such a harsh welcoming because of his frustration towards me. Still I didn't think it was a reason for him to treat Dean badly, and I promised myself that I would protect the boy from the other Gladers no matter what. Rich however hadn't had any bad experience with Alby yet. He had only shortly seen him when he arrived, but was quickly left with us. For once, I had understood that Alby had more important business to deal with. He had a rather skeptical look on his face when the leader walked over to our table.

"I need to talk to you," he said lowly, just hard enough for me alone to hear it.

I was actually having a pretty good time. We were prepping Rich for the Glade life little by little. Of course, we had already told him the important things. Only now the funny stories came out, with of course me smacking Gally being the cherry on the cake. However, I didn't want to cause a stir by having a big mouth and turning him down, so I told everyone I'd be back soon and followed Alby into the Homestead. On the wonky first floor he had his own room, furnished as what some might call an office. Papers filled with stock counts and reports from the Runners piled high on a table, surrounded by squiggly notes. I sat down on opposite side of him, studying the room while he gathered some files. Apart from a table and a couple of chairs, a big bookcase stood against one of the walls. I was tempted to take a closer look, but I didn't think Alby would appreciate that. I was curious though; I hadn't actually seen any books around the Glade. I wondered if they were storybooks, or just filled with formal information. I surely hoped the former, only I wasn't sure if that was even possible. Minho told me once that they could send certain requests down with the Box, like clothes or tools. They had gone as far as asking for a television, which of course, they didn't get. It made me question about how much they wanted us to know about the outside world. Because I actually believed there was an outside world. I had heard people discussing about what the Glade was; a prison, or maybe we were the only people left in the whole wide world. I felt manipulated that an unknown force could keep things hidden from us.

Finally, Alby sat down as well. He leaned forwards confidentially, as if we were still in public, and scraped his throat. He immediately got to the point. "You must know something."

I had expected some sort of hostility in his voice, but he seemed to have buried the hatchet for once. He sounded concerned. Maybe he had finally come to the realisation that kindness would get him further than aggression. Still, I was on guard. I never really knew what to expect from him, afraid he'd maybe lash out at me verbally if I didn't give the right answers. I couldn't exactly sense Alby's idea of right quite yet.

"What has Newt told you?" I jabbed at him. He hadn't seen Newt yet, but he had somewhat communicated with him through the Med-Jacks. Though the question had the stinging effect I intended for it, I actually wanted to know what he had said, if he had said anything. As much as I cared for Newt's well-being, I wanted to give him the chance to talk about it himself, and not through me.

Alby narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "I'll be asking the questions today, girly," he said, his voice back to its usual coldness. "And I need to know what you know."

I folded my hands in my lap and looked down at them as I twiddled my thumbs, contemplating whether I should tell him. Newt had expressed multiple times that he was terrified of anyone finding out, but hadn't he actually betrayed himself here? Of course people would ask questions. My throat tightened as I reminded myself that he never wanted to survive. I didn't exactly know what he had done to himself, but from the bits that I had seen, he had almost succeeded in taking his own life.

"He's not feeling very well," I said, looking back up at Alby.

He threw his hands in the air in frustration. "You think I'm dumb or something, shuckette?"

"You want to know or not?" I asked, and he immediately slumped back in his chair though he kept my gaze captive with his. "You better."

Alby quirked up an eyebrow at my big mouth, but didn't mention it. He seemed used to my assertiveness by now and finally knew that there was no way changing that. It was already clear that we didn't like each other, and giving me unfair time in the Slammer would only bring down his status in the Glade. He wasn't exactly a beloved leader, so even he needed to have certain restrictions.

I took a deep breath and continued. "I don't know for how long it has been going on. I mean, I have only been here for two months, but I've noticed so many things about him. He carries the trust of all the Gladers on his back. He feels too much responsibility for them."

"He is, in some way," Alby muttered, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "He gladly took the job of second-in-command."

"Don't make it worse by saying such things," I said. "The two of you are friends, right?" Alby nodded. "Then you and I both know that Newt can't lie. Not all of the Gladers know what is going on, but I do. And I understand that you need to keep their hopes high."

Alby frowned. "I don't know what you mean."

"There is no exit," I said simply. I expected him to deny it, but he just nodded, confirming my speculations. I had been turning Minho's words over and over in my head, and I could see now that he felt as much responsible as Newt. His job was finding a way out after all, and I knew Minho enough to know that he didn't like failing at his job. "And I guess Newt was the first one to lose hope."

"You really think he did this to himself?"

As much as I wanted to deny it, I answered honestly. "Yes."

"You should have told someone," he said coldly, though I could hear the desperation and anger in his voice. Alby kept surprising me by being so calm during our conversation. I almost started believing that he wanted us to be on good terms.

"I promised Newt I wouldn't." I wanted to be honest with Alby. We didn't like each other, but I didn't want another person angry at me. "He is incredibly scared of what the others might think. And I don't betray my friends' trust."

"Minho said so, too," Alby said, scratching his chin as he thought.

"You spoke with Minho?" I asked, not even trying to conceal the shock on my face.

"He was the one who told me to speak to you. Apparently you have spent a ... _night_ together?"

I frowned, wondering how Minho knew. My anger bubbled up again when I saw the disapproval on Alby's face. I couldn't believe he just sold us out like that! It was obvious that he liked to just jump to conclusions, but he should have asked first. An upset blush crept onto my face. Now they probably thought that we were together or something. Actually together. What did they care? Wasn't Newt's well-being our priority now?

"Night _s_ ," I corrected him, a challenging look on my face. "I comforted him when he had a nightmare. He can't sleep well on his own when he's had one."

Alby nodded thoughtfully. Seeing how seriously he took me, I realised that Alby really cared about Newt as well. I didn't see them together often, but I knew they were good friends. Of course, a leader and his second-in-command had to get along, but I could see that it went much deeper than just taking care of the Glade. They had known each other since the beginning of all this, and Minho too. I felt like I was trying to squeeze myself into a spot that wasn't even available, maybe didn't even _exist_.

"I'm not sure what Minho told me, but we aren't exactly on good terms at the moment," I continued, biting my lip as I thought of our fight. "He's just trying to make me look bad or something to get back at me."

Alby grinned. "You know how he is."

I was taken aback slightly by his sudden friendly behaviour, but quickly decided to enjoy it for as long as it lasted. I shrugged and said, "He can be such an arrogant ass sometimes."

"You shanks should make up. He's shucking boring when he angry glares at you during dinner the whole time."

"He has too much pride," I mumbled, looking away.

"Speak for yourself," Alby replied, pulling up his eyebrows.

"Oh, shut up," I laughed, though I quickly became quiet when someone politely knocked on the door.

"Come in," Alby answered.

The door swung open, only to reveal an ecstatic Clint.

"He wants to see you," Clint said, and Alby already began to rise out of his chair. Clint however awkwardly gestured for him to sit back down again and pointed to me. "I meant her."

I stood up, only looking over my shoulder to mouth a quick 'sorry' to Alby. He just shrugged, though he looked bothered. I felt bad, but I couldn't really help that I was the one Newt wanted to see. Anxiously, I followed Clint down the stairs. He didn't say anything, and I didn't know if that was good or not. I wondered if Newt had told Clint and Jeff the truth. Then again, with what kind of crazy story would he be able to cover such an injury?

Before I knew it, we were in front of the Med-Jacks' hut. Clint turned to me, excited and nervous at the same time. "He hasn't seen anyone except for Clint and I the past two weeks, so I suggest you be careful with him. Make sure he stays in bed and doesn't move too much," he said, and I nodded so he knew I understood. "Jeff will be on his way out soon, he's just doing a quick check-up. We'll be around if anything goes wrong."

I smiled; I couldn't even express how glad I was that they gave us some privacy. Newt probably wouldn't really open up with the two of them around, but I had hope that he would with me alone. When Jeff exited the building and greeted me, I had to keep myself from bolting in and hugging Newt's life out of his body.

I suppressed the urge and slowly stepped inside. My eyes had to adjust - inside here it was much darker than it had been in Alby's office and outside. The only source of light were the beams of sun that crept through the cracks inbetween the curtains. It gave the room a cosy atmosphere and made me feel at ease, slightly relieving the tension from my body. Above each bed was a window, and from only one the curtains were taken. The sunlight put an almost golden glow on Newt, even though he was sickly pale.

"Harper," he said with a hoarse voice. My eyes darted up and down his body countless times, almost unable to take in the damage. Though two weeks had nearly passed, his body was still adorned with nasty cuts and bruises. The right side of his face and neck had a soft red colour, the skin scraped away. All his limbs were covered in bandages, but his left leg seemed to be the worst. A couple of pillows were taken from the other beds for support and it was wrapped much thicker than anything else.

I slowly made my way over to him, cautious as if he'd break if I moved to quickly. A chair stood lonely next to his bed and I sat down. "Newt," I whispered, trying to force back the lump in my throat. "Oh my God, Newt."

I leaned over and wrapped my arms around him, earning a few groans but mostly happy laughs from the boy. I held him as closely as possible, wetting his neck with my tears. Newt stroked my hair to comfort me, but had a hard time staying calm himself as well. After what could have been seconds, minutes, hours even, I pulled back to look at him. If he didn't have to suppress it because of the pain, he would have smiled from ear to ear.

"I'm really angry at you, you know," I said. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, but the anger was what I felt the deepest. I was angry at him for doing this. I was angry at him for making everyone worry like this. I was angry at myself for being angry at him.

"I'm sure you are." Newt grinned. "You'll still love me anyway."

Though I couldn't help but give him a sad smile, I said, "It's not funny, okay? Everyone is concerned."

"What do you want me to say?" He asked, a pained expression on his face. "That I'm sorry?"

"I don't know," I confessed. I wanted him to regret what he had done so badly. But I couldn't force him, could I? If everything had gone according to plan, I wouldn't be sitting here. I would be mourning him in the Deadheads with the other Gladers, if the Runners had even ever found his body. Wiping the tears from my face, I looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"I'm not sorry," he said, lowering his gaze. "I'm not sorry for jumping off that bloody wall." I buried my head in my hands, afraid that if I would look at him, I would lose it. Of course I had already somewhat known what he had done, but hearing him say it out loud broke my heart. He must have sensed, because he reached out and wrapped his fingers around mine, pulling down my cover. "But," he continued, "I am sorry to see you like this." He shook his head. "I can't imagine what the others are like."

"Minho and I had a fight," I blurted out, immediately regretting it. I didn't want to pull Newt into this. I didn't want him to pick sides, mainly because I already knew whose side he would pick. But then again, wasn't he already involved? After all, we were fighting over him.

"Stupid shank," Newt muttered, earning a short chuckle from me. "He couldn't have known."

"I tried to explain, but he wouldn't listen."

"I'll talk some sense into him later," he said, before pulling me closer by my hand. "But you're here now. Forget about Minho."

I let him pull me into his embrace once again, only now I melt into his body. My nose is buried in the crook inbetween his neck and his jaw. He faintly smells of sweat and sweet medicine, but mostly just like Newt. Something that borders on the line between sweet and sharp. Something about him was so safe, so much like home. I felt like I maybe could have known him before all of this happened. Before our memories were taken from us. I nudged my nose up to his ear and whispered, "What is going to happen from now on?"

"I don't think I'll ever be running again," he whispered back, absentmindedly rubbing my shoulders and back. "My leg is shucked. Jeff and Clint could tell almost immediately after I was brought here. Told me so I wouldn't get my hopes up."

"Alby wouldn't have allowed it."

" _You_ wouldn't have allowed it," he said, smiling into my hair.

I pulled back slightly to look at him. "Damn right I wouldn't. You have to promise me that you won't do anything like this again."

"I don't know if I can," he said, his eyebrows furrowing together into a pained expression. "I may have been brought back to reality by that fall, but I can't shake off what I've seen. What my mind produces."

"Don't you dare," I hissed, narrowing my eyes. "We'll help you. Every. Single. Glader. I'll make sure of it personally."

"You bloody know I can't just open up like that, right?"

"Promise me you'll try," I said silently, my eyes pleading.

Newt looked conflicted for a couple of seconds, before nodding thoughtfully. "Promised."

 _\- # -_

 ** _This is a damn long one. Hope you enjoyed it :). My hands are itching guys, I'm thinking of starting up another fic soon. Let me know if you have any ideas! On top of that, I only just noticed that my story has been added to a community for quality OCs. Thank you so much, BookRain! Such an honour :). This poet, *grins evilly*. I'm not even sorry. Mainly because I can assure you that things will be alright. I can't handle too much stress on our girl either. District DivergentPotterhead, thank you! Our girl is indeed a bit quick on jumping to conclusions, but I guess we all have our flaws. Oh well. Y'all, lemme know what's on your mind! Until next time :)._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	28. Chapter XXVIII: Betrayal

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXVIII_**

 _Betrayal_

 ** _t_**

The researchers in the observatory were absolutely ecstatic. Day and night some were up now, studying certain brain patterns and jotting down notes. The Chancellor spent more time with us as well now, wanting to see every little change for herself. I hadn't seen her this satisfied in a very long time, nor anyone else in the facility. That while Teresa and I could barely look at our screens without reliving what we had seen. Both of us had been playing around with the cameras in the Maze when it happened. As others nearly cheered, all we could do was gape at the computer in front of us, mouths wide open. It was initially how the Chancellor had reacted as well. Newt had been giving us very interesting brain patterns before, so he couldn't afford to die. He would have probably, if it hadn't been for the shock that was shot through his body by one of the other researchers. Even though it was practically against the usual protocol, which was to simply let the subjects die, the Chancellor had allowed it. We were able to still somewhat control the subject with their chips, though we barely did that. The chip had saved his life, and the care of their doctors - Med-Jacks? - as well, of course. I suddenly felt sick watching Newt being used in our experiment. He had been my friend before, and to watch him suffer like this ...

Fortunately, I wasn't put on night shift. I found it a bit ridiculous that the Gladers, _subjects_ , had to be watched all the time now simply because of one outstanding brain pattern. Which was created when Newt wanted to commit suicide, for God's sake! I lay awake, staring at the perfectly white ceiling of my room. Sleep hadn't been coming easily the past couple of days.

" _I can't sleep_ ," Teresa said telepathically. It was one of the perks of having been here for so long. I still hadn't figured exactly how they had made it possible for us to talk like this, but I was thankful for it. Like this, I always had Teresa close, no matter how far away she was. It always gave me a horrible headache, though.

" _Me neither_ ," I said, or thought, back.

" _Can I come over?_ "

" _Sure."_

We often hung out around this time. There weren't many other people that were as old as us in the facility, and the ones that were of our age often despised us. Teresa and I only really had each other, and both of us were happy like that. Even when we missed our old friends. Teresa's room wasn't very far from mine, so it didn't take long for my door to slide open and her to step in. She was dressed in a simple, white night gown. Her feet were bare, probably cold against the tile floor.

" _Hey_ ," she thought.

"I like talking like this better," I said softly, earning a short chuckle from her. I made place for her in my bed, which was barely even big enough for one person. It was good that she was so small, otherwise we wouldn't have fit. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders to secure her.

"I always forget." She sighed. "Whenever I close my eyes, I see him jumping off the wall, Tom. It's horrible."

"I know," I whispered, squeezing her arm shortly in comfort. "Everything feels wrong all the sudden."

Teresa nodded thoughtfully before biting her lip as if she was going to say something risky. "The Chancellor was right, though."

"What do you mean?" I said, pulling up my eyebrows.

She lowered her eyes, suddenly interested in the collar of my shirt. "The brain patterns were very helpful, from what I have heard. They were so different from anything we've ever seen before. The circumstances may have been-"

"Don't you dare defend WICKED on this," I said, placing my fingers under her chin and forcing it up so she had to look me in the eyes. "This is wrong, Teresa."

"It's part of our job, Tom," she hissed, narrowing her eyes. I couldn't believe that she was okay with this. She may not have been as close to them as I was, but they still had been friends of some sort. Didn't she care at all? Anger bubbled up inside of me suddenly.

"Like what you did to Harper, hm?" I blurted out. From the look on her face it seemed like she didn't know that I knew. A blush crept to her cheeks at the confrontation, but she still clenched her jaw.

"She hadn't shown much yet," she murmured.

"That's bullshit, and you know it. She has done whatever she was supposed to do up until now," I said, my throat tightening. Teresa knew that it was a sensitive subject, and still she decided to hurt me with her. I could never give up Teresa, but this had caused a distant between us.

"She's all you can think about! She's gone, Tom. She betrayed us!" She half-yelled, half-whispered. If anyone knew that we were still up, we'd get one hell of a punishment. "It's her own fault she's in there. You can't help her anymore, okay?"

I didn't really have an answer for that. She was right, after all. Harper had betrayed WICKED in one of the worst ways possible, and this was how she had to pay for it. It was bound to happen, but no one had thought it would be this quick. I turned around, done with our conversation. I knew that I couldn't stay angry at Teresa for long, no matter how hard I tried to be upset with her. She didn't leave either, which I guessed was a good sign. There was a silent promise between us; we'd stay together, no matter what.

" _Good night,"_ I thought.

" _Good night, Tom."_

 _\- # -_

 ** _I just wanted to throw another Thomas chap in there, so here you have a little treat. Do you guys like seeing things from Thomas' perspective? Are there any perspective requests? JinLing, thank you! TolkeinGeek1 \- same dude, I'm kind of shipping them. District DivergentPotterhead, I'll definitely check you out. Everyone, go check my girl out :). This poet, this is only the beginning (heheheh). percabeth9394, stay patient! Kisses might come soon. Or not. They'll come eventually, so no worries. I have to disappoint you on the Alby matter - he's still an asshat. A mutual respect has established itself between Alby and Harper, but he's definitely not a nice guy. I do have Wattpad - what about that ;)? Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	29. Chapter XXIX: Dishes and Deception

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXIX_**

 _Dishes and Deception_

I had taken training upon myself. Minho and I hadn't officially made up yet, but we had spoken a couple of times. Newt had been out of the Med-Jacks for a couple of days now, and currently a Gathering was being held to decide what to do with him. Only Alby and Minho knew the truth apart from Newt and myself, and I hoped that they kept it that way. The last thing I wanted was to get the other Keepers caught up in this as well. It was better for them to think that it was an accident. I couldn't think of anything that could explain Newt's injury as an accident, but I hope that they could.

My senses were heightened, trying to pump as much oxygen into my blood as possible. A booming sound filled my ears, even though the Deadheads were awfully quiet. Except for the occasional snapping branch or rustling leave, there weren't any loud, obnoxious boys. The Glade seemed so far away from here. Every once in a while, a song of birds carried throughout the trees, though quickly fading as I moved deeper into the woods. As far as I was concerned, no one, except for those birds, was around to see me. Because how could I tell them what I was doing? Surely they would know that I wasn't supposed, _allowed_ , to run around like a chicken without a head. You didn't just become a Runner - especially not me. That Alby and I were on respectable terms didn't mean that he would let me get away with this. He'd take pleasure in throwing me in the Slammer. Still, while I was far away from the Glade, I couldn't shake the feeling of being followed.

My muscles were exhausted and my throat was raw, but only when I fell flat on my face I decided to take a rest. Not bothering to get up, I crawled over to a nearby oak. I rested my back against the trunk and shortly checked my surroundings. Without much effort, I was able to loosen my belt enough for my water bottle to slip out. The Creators had given me girls' clothes, but I still preferred to wear clothes from the smaller boys. I had made acquaintance with Jones, one of the Sloppers and a friend of Lennon's, who laid aside some smaller pants every now and then for me. In return, he got extra eggs whenever I was on breakfast shift.

I gulped down my water, even though Minho had told me that it would only upset my stomach. I couldn't care less what Minho told me. At least, that's what I convinced myself of - I would probably regret it later. To soon, nothing passed my lips anymore and I had to put the bottle down. Sighing in bliss, I leaned my head back, closing my eyes. The thick, bright green foliage of the trees barely let any sunlight pass, adding to the eerie feeling of the Deadheads. However, a couple of rays had somehow found their way through the leaves and onto my skin. I didn't even bother wiping away the sweat that was running down my cheeks.

I woke up with a start. Frantically, I looked around, trying to find what had woken me up. Minho and I had taken a nap once before during training in the Deadheads, but not nearly as much in sight as I was now. My heart beat rapidly. Even though no one was around, I couldn't help but feel like I had been seen. The Gladers had made some paths through the Deadheads far before my arrival, and where I was, there were barely any. From where I sat, I could see a small, tortuous path - the one I had come from, actually. While some thick bushes separated my spot and the path, I was sure that I could be seen from there as well. Slowly, still low, I made my way over. The path was muddy, and even from a couple of feet away, I could see the footprints. Where they my own? I put my own foot in the print, and quickly found the answer. Though not significantly, the print was bigger than my own foot. I could only hope that the person passing by hadn't seen me.

Though I wasn't sure how long I had slept, I decided to go back to the Glade. I hadn't even ran for that long, but the boys would get suspicious if their only girl went missing for too long. My whole body was protesting when I stood up, but if I really wanted to get out of those Kitchens, no offense to Frypan, I would have to do this every day. It took me nearly half an hour to backtrack to one of the main paths. By this time it had already become a little colder, which meant that it would soon be evening. I had gotten the afternoon off, but I was needed for dinner. A string of silent swears left my lips. Frypan's imagination liked to run wild and jump to all sorts of conclusions, so I couldn't be too late.

Only when I walked past the last line of trees and into the Glade, I realized that I had forgotten my bottle. I contemplated going back for it, but I could already hear Frypan's voice in my head, fantasizing about all kinds of things Newt and I could have been doing. And Newt wasn't even allowed out of supervision. He was at the Gathering alongside Frypan, for God's sake. It had my name on it, but how big were the chances that anyone found it?

"Calling in," I said in a sing-songy voice as I swung open the door to the Kitchens. All the Cooks were already present, and quickly greeted me before turning back to their work. I moved over to Frypan, who seemed to be counting stock towards the back, while I pulled back my hair into some sort of bun. His eyebrows were furrowed together into a frown.

"What's up?" I asked, casually leaning against a pile of crates. I hoped my laid-back attitude covered up for me being late.

"Zart better get me some potatoes soon," Frypan said, "We're running out." He quirked up an eyebrow when he turned to face me, slowly looking me over from head to toe. "Where you been hanging? You look like a shucking mess." He handed me a questionably clean rag from his apron. "Clean yourself up! Dirty shuckface!" As he walked back to the main parts, I could hear him mutter all kinds of swears, something about disgusting shanks in his clean kitchen, and I couldn't help but laugh in relief. At least he didn't question it.

As the evening went by, tension slipped from my body. By the end of dinner, my smile wasn't even forced anymore. I softly hummed to myself as I dried off the dishes alongside two other Cooks, with Frypan washing them. Jay and Joe, if I remembered correctly, were talking to each other in hushed voices, which left only Frypan for me to talk to.

"How's Newt?" I asked, peeking at the boy from the side. I knew only a handful of other Keepers. There hadn't been a break between training and dinner shift, so I hadn't been able to talk to Newt, Minho, Alby, or Gally even. Frypan was my only option. Not that it was a bad one, but asking him about Newt always ended up in some sort of conspiracy theory.

"He's good," Frypan said, though not looking up from his dishes. "Little upset, though."

"Upset?" I frowned. "Why?"

"Alby doesn't want him out anymore."

"In the Maze?"

"Where else?" I rolled my eyes at his sarcastic comment. "Yeah, in the Maze."

"Not that he'd be able to go back with that leg," I said, wincing as I imagined his injury again. His leg was still wrapped thickly in bandages, and he had to be carried around on a chair, which was a pretty funny sight. Except when they dropped him by accident two days ago.

"Even if his leg hadn't gone to klunk," Frypan muttered, "None of us want him back there."

 _Shit_. Had Alby told them? Had Minho told them? Had I blurted it out and forgotten that I had? Could Newt have confessed it? No. Definitely not. He had been so determined to keep it a secret. He hadn't just changed his mind, had he?

"Why not?" I asked, trying to mask the nervous undertone.

"It was traumatic. He told us himself."

So he _had_ told them. I couldn't really imagine why. Rumour spread like a wildfire around the Glade. Some boys would be angry at him - some of the Gladers might even try to do the same thing! Newt wouldn't so something so irresponsible. Or maybe he just didn't care anymore.

"What did he tell you, then?" I asked a little to eagerly.

"Attacked by a Griever, barely-"

"A _Griever_?" I blurted out, interrupting him. I couldn't believe he came up with that. Who would believe it? But when I thought it over once again, I realised that the Gladers would take it as the truth in the blink of an eye. Not that the boys were stupid. They were out for excitement, for something to happen, and exactly this was sufficient. A Griever attack, something they could shudder about during future Bonfires and could scare the greenies with. With the right kind of conviction, everyone would believe it. Even Frypan, because Newt never lied.

"Yeah, a shucking Griever. Dragged him by the leg." Frypan handed me the last dishes before draining the sink. He dried his hands on his apron and scratched his forehead, trying to find an explanation for it himself. "Wonder he survived."

"How _did_ he survive?" I decided to just play along with the story. The others probably expected me to, and I wasn't going to go against them. It would only cause more confusion, and that was not what we needed right now.

"Played dead. Didn't even get stung."

"Stung?" I had never heard the term before. Not in combination with Griever, anyway.

"They didn't teach ya anything on that tour?" Frypan said, turning to me, one hand on his hip. "Has happened twice before. Shanks get stung, go into crazy mode for a couple of days. Creators sent us some kind of cure, though, but still. Neither Frank or Alex has been the same ever since. I don't even think Frank made it." He frowned, thinking. "Wait - he did. He just ran into the Maze again. Never seen him again."

"What happens?"

"No one knows for sure. They were questioned, but we lost Frank. Alex hasn't been very coherent. Only thing we know is that it's a way of getting memories."

"That's good, right?"

"They didn't see anythin' good, let me tell you that. Otherwise we'd already be outta here. Keeping my hopes up, though." He sent me a soft smile.

I didn't have the heart to tell him the truth.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Hello everyone! Glad to see you're all still around. I think we should do something special for chapter 30. Any special requests ;)? District DivergentPotterhead, Frypan cheers your shipping preferences on. I'm still grinning at myself for making Frypan such a shipping fangirl. Would like to hear your opinion on who's POV to do next :). percabeth9349, username is paperkiite, but I don't have anything on there. Literally nothing. I'm not even reading anything at th_ _e moment. I read a couple of good band fanfictions on there, haha, but apparently not on this account. I don't even know the password to the other account anymore. Some major things need to happen still before Thomas' arrival, so he isn't coming that soon. Be patient! DearChibico, thank you! I thought about it for a bit when I first started the story, but our girl doesn't seem like someone who would make a really big deal out of it. Not a weird question, though! Guest, *blushes* - thank you! This story isn't anywhere near being discontinued, or finished even. I have much, much more to write ;). Anyway, end of reviews. I really like writing these little scenes between Frypan and our girl, how do you guys like them? Let me know! Oh, and before I forget to mention it, I have made a Pinterest board for this story! Check it out - account name is paperkite. I'll be sharing ideas and such on there. Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	30. Chapter XXX: Bad Friends

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXX_**

 _Bad Friends_

 ** _m_**

After all this time, I still didn't like Gally's brew. Most of the boys had gotten used to it's sour, sickening taste, but I still had a hard time keeping it down. I felt like a shucking greenie all over again, and I hadn't even been one. I had been one of the first - we never had a greenie party for ourselves. Still I had a drink in my hand, nipping at it every once in a while. Newt had already had more than I could keep track of and he still acted somewhat sober. I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Bloody sissy y'are, Minho," Newt grinned, before he pointed Harper's way. She had a bright, vibrant smile on her face, and she had finally managed to make something out of her hair. The greenie - Rich - and Dean stood by, apparently listening to some story of hers. I hadn't really talked to the greenie yet, even though his bonfire had been postponed for nearly two weeks. He continued, "Even the girl outdrinks ya."

"Don't shucking encourage her," I muttered, shaking my head as I reminisced the previous party. I couldn't help but keep an eye on her, even though she had probably learnt her lesson. Frypan probably wouldn't let her live it down, _ever_. He made sure she didn't repeat her mistake, though, jokingly taking away the brew whenever she came over to the bar for something to drink. She looked pretty sober now.

"It was cute, though," Newt said, leaning back against the tree trunk. "She looked really happy."

"She looks happy now, too." She did. Once in a while, her face lit up, and she laughed. A pleasant sound. A very shucking pleasant sound, even though I would never admit that out loud. Little by little, she was coaxed out of her shell.

Newt nodded thoughtfully, before fully turning to me. "Did you talk to her yet?"

"Couple times."

"Greeting each other at dinner doesn't count."

"For shuck's sake." I rolled my eyes and huffed. "I don't want to talk about her."

" _But you dooo_ ," Newt sang. I made gag motions at him, trying to make it clear that I was serious. Unfortunately, he wasn't taking any of it. "You like her. Do you like her? _Do you_?"

"You have had _way_ too much to drink, Newt," I mumbled. I stood up and was about to walk away when I felt Newt tug on my sleeve. He tried to stand up by himself as well, but his leg wasn't exactly helping. If it was anyone else, I would have left them there and go off on my own. But Newt was my friend, and I wasn't just going to abandon him here on his own. Now was finally his time to have a little fun. I knelt down so he could sling his arm around my shoulder and helped him up.

"You didn't answer my question," he replied, quirking up an eyebrow in anticipation.

"Oh, slim it, you shuckface."

He held up a hand in defense, though a smug smirk was still painted across his face. Slowly, we made our way over to the bar, having to stop every couple of seconds to readjust. As soon as he saw us, Frypan came over to help me out with Newt. We hoisted him up onto one of the stools when we reached the bar, before sitting down ourselves. Newt had to steady himself with his hands, nearly falling because of his semi-drunken state.

"Enjoyin' yourself?" Frypan asked, slowly pushing a glass of brew in my direction.

I shook my head, not taking up on his offer. "These things," I said, gesturing at the bonfire and the laughing Gladers, "aren't really my idea of fun."

"I see." Frypan nodded, before eyeing the glass again. "You gonna drink that?"

Narrowing my eyes, I was about to say no, but Newt was quick to speak for me. "Of course he will," he said to Frypan, before looking in my direction. "Stiff slinthead. Needs a drink to loosen up," he added in a mumble. I excessively rolled my eyes, but still I reached over to grab the drink. Normally, I wasn't one to give into this sort of pressure, but maybe Newt was right. Maybe I needed to loosen up.

Without saying anything in advance, I chugged the whole thing. The alcohol burned down my throat, and I had a hard time keeping my face straight. The two boys seemed to notice, and didn't even try to hold back their laughter. The glass nearly fell out of my trembling hands, but I managed to put it onto the bar before that could happen. Frypan applauded me with a short chuckle, before turning to Winston and some other Slicer, who were waiting for a drink as well.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, shortly before a giggly, feminine voice spoke. "Bad-ass." She sounded kind, but with a little bit of challenge. As much as Frypan and I had kept an eye on her, I could feel the alcohol in her veins. I could only hope that she could handle herself better now.

"Yeah, thought I'd pull a Harper tonight," I replied, turning to face the girl.

"Funny." She huffed. "I learned."

"How much have you had?"

"How much have _you_ had?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't answer my question with a shucking question."

"Not too much."

"Same."

She tilted her head in curiosity, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "I've never seen you drink."

"I _just_ drank something." I couldn't help the hint of annoyance in my voice.

"I was already telling him," Newt piped up, "'the girl can handle more than you!'"

"Bet she can't," a much deeper voice said, suddenly joining the conversation as well. I turned to look into the direction of the sound, only to find the greenie at the bar as well. A lazy smile tugged at his lips, and he held up his hand shortly to wave. I nodded shortly in acknowledgement, but didn't bother replying to his comment. Unfortunately, Harper did.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, semi-accusingly pointing a finger at him. "At Dean's party, I outdrank them all."

"It wasn't even a competition," Newt said to Rich, "She just wanted the bloody eggs."

"That's shucking embarrassing," Rich said, not even hesitating on the slang. With that, he had already used more of it than Harper and Dean combined. He seemed to fit in just right with the Gladers, while they didn't. Well, everyone was used to Harper now, so she wasn't much of a stand-out anymore. The small one, though, still had trouble getting to know everyone. From what I saw, he just stuck with Harper and her friends. Shucking exhausting, if you would have asked me, but Harper wasn't like that. She just let him tag along. I liked that about her.

"I know, I know," she said, softly laughing, "I couldn't even finish the plate with both Lennon's and Christian's help."

She gestured to the two boys, who stood near the campfire. As usual, they didn't really have any other company but each other, but they seemed content with that. Now that I knew that they were in some sort of relationship, I noticed all those things even more. Sappy wasn't my thing, yet I found it interesting. Even if I found it pretty weird that they only had each other. Not like I had that many friends, but still.

"Making sure that doesn't happen again, hm?" Rich sent a wink in my direction to my annoyance, before continuing, "I think the girl can handle herself just fine. I mean, she's got all you guys on your knees, right?" Harper quirked up an eyebrow and shortly laughed. I didn't like his cockiness at all. _Hypocrite_ , I thought, but not even now I could laugh about it. Why did they all get along so much?

"She wishes," Newt said as he gestured Frypan over with a nod of his head. "A drink for me and the greenie."

"Who said I wanted any?" Rich asked, feigning surprise, but grinning when Newt shoved a glass into his hand.

"Don't act all innocent on me, greenbean."

"Yeah, Rich," Harper agreed, "Show us what you got!"

He turned to me, raising his glass. "You sure you don't want any?" To anyone else, it could have sounded normal. But to me, it sounded like a challenge. The look in his eyes was questioning, daring me. I didn't have any of it.

"No thanks," I muttered, narrowing my eyes in a way of disapproval.

I watched them for a while as they laughed and talked, my arms crossed in front of my chest. Leaning back against the bar, I tried to think of ways to either enjoy the rest of the night or slip away to the Homestead and get some precious sleep.. I nearly tripped over my own feet when a voice piped up beside me. "This is so _stupid_."

I frowned, looking down at the young boy. During his whole stay here, I had never hear him talk this much. Nodding thoughtfully I said, "True that."

Dean chewed on his bottom lip, watching the two. They had wandered off towards the fire, chatting with Lennon and Christian. Only then I noticed that Newt was still with me, nearly passed out. The combination of strong pain-killers and alcohol. I saw Frypan glancing at him every couple of seconds, making sure he wouldn't slip off of his chair again. I decided not to bother with him anymore. He'd be out cold soon enough.

"Not enjoying yourself much, are you?" I asked, trying to sound kind at least.

"Not really, no," he said, not meeting my gaze.

"Takes time getting used to it." I sighed, pulling a hand through my hair. "If it helps, neither am I."

Now he looked up at me, somewhat confused. "But you're the Keeper of the Runners, you have all these friends!"

"Nah, they're stupid," I said. A smile tugged at Dean's lips, before letting out a soft chuckle. "You can keep a secret, right?"

"Sure."

"I don't like that Rich shank one bit."

"Me neither."

I quirked up an eyebrow, surprised. "I always see you with him and Harps, right?"

"Says we need to help him get going and stuff 'cause we are the previous greenies."

Well, I could imagine her saying this. By taking care of Dean, she had already showed everyone how much she cared about the new ones fitting in. She always saw the best in everyone. Well, except for Alby maybe, but I doubted that that would ever be solved. Rich was lucky to have her take care of him. If any of the other boys would have, he wouldn't have been such an arrogant slinthead.

I looked over my shoulder shortly, checking up on Newt. He was softly snoring, his mouth hanging open slightly, and I chuckled at his state. At least I didn't have to worry about him now. Subconsciously, my gaze traveled back to the fire, looking for the girl with the big hair. She was dancing, swinging her head and reaching her hands in the air like she was trying to touch the sky. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I was struck speechless by the way she looked. Intriguing.

Apparently, Rich thought so as well.

Without missing a beat, he grabbed her face and kissed her.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Okay, you probably hated me for not updating. Now you hate me even more. There was supposed to be a scene after this, but I'll save that one for next chapter :). Got so much reviews, thank you guys! District DivergentPotterhead, got some Minho! Now that you mention it, it would be pretty interesting to hear from Frypan. I'll see what I can do. percabeth9349, err, well, there's a kiss! Though I highly doubt that this was what you wanted. Don't worry, though. Queenbeee222, thanks :). TheDarkGirl007, I'm definitely getting back to that! Not sure if it'll be a whole new story, or within this story, but you'll find out! WillowInWonderland, welcome! Thank you for your review. You don't even know half how happy it makes me that you love my portrayal :). Anyway, I'm so so sorry for the wait! I can't really say when the next chapter will be out, but it should be somewhere this week. Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	31. Chapter XXXI: Awkward

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXXI_**

 _Awkward_

When his lips connected to mine, I was stunned for a couple of seconds. I couldn't remember ever kissing a boy before, but I knew I had. It felt natural in a way. Not with him, though. Not with Rich, who I had only known for barely two weeks. He caught me by surprise though, and suddenly I was sober again, my mind not one bit fuzzy. I realised that he probably thought he could do this because I wasn't a hundred percent, and while in the previous moments I hadn't been upset with him kissing me, I was now. If he genuinely liked me, I could have at least gotten away with a little dignity. Now he was just doing it to show off.

Only fractions of a second before I was going to push him away, the kiss stopped abruptly. Someone had pulled him off of me. There was a loud crunch when a fist collided with Rich's nose, followed by a confused groan. My head was still a little hazy, but two boys were now lying on the ground, fighting each other, with a crowd surrounding that kept getting bigger and bigger. I narrowed my eyes, trying to see who was on top of Rich. Upon recognizing Minho, I couldn't help but mentally slapping myself for being so stupid. Before the other Gladers could get him off of Rich, I was at his side, pulling at his shoulder with all my might. I'd never get him up by myself, but I hoped it would get his attention.

"Minho!" I shrieked, tugging at his sleeve. My nails dug into his skin, and he finally turned his head to look at me. He had a stupid grin on his face and sent me a wink, before he doubled over. Rich had kicked him in the stomach and was now scrambling to his feet, looking down at Minho with a mix of fear, anger and confusion.

"What the shuck, man?" He wiped his hand under his nose, which was profusely bleeding. While he tried to look hurt, I could see a smirk tugging at his lips. "What was that for?"

Minho slowly rose to his feet, holding his hand to his forehead. The corners of his lips were turned down into a scowl. Even I was a little scared of him. Of what he could possibly do, if he wanted to. "Don't you disrespect her like that."

"What do you mean?" Rich's smile grew the slightest bit wider.

"Get out." Minho sloppily gestured in the other direction with his free hand.

"Or what?"

"Get out, slinthead," Minho hissed, "You don't want to know the 'or what'."

"What-"

"You heard him, shuckface," a deep voice interrupted him. Alby suddenly stood in between the two boys, holding out his arms so they wouldn't be able to reach each other. Even though both of them had inches on him in weight, they wouldn't dare provoke him physically. Rich was lucky I had told him stories about Alby's explosiveness. It would have been amusing to see him challenge Alby. Neither of them would try to do that, though. And Alby knew that. That was his advantage.

"I didn't-," Rich tried, but Alby wouldn't let him finish his excuse.

"Get to the Med-Jacks', get your nose patched up, how 'bout that?" Alby's eyes told him that he didn't take no for an answer.

"Sure, whatever." Rich shrugged like it was no big deal, but from the look on his face, I could tell that he had been looking forward to taunting Minho a little more. His gaze shifted shortly to mine, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He didn't seem to regret kissing me, nor fighting Minho. He just pulled up his eyebrows and smirked, like it all of it was funny to him. Instead of giving him some sort of reply, I looked away.

"And you," Alby said, the slightest hint of threat in his voice. He turned to fully face Minho, prodding his index finger into Minho's chest. "I want to see you tomorrow, before you go."

He didn't acknowledge me, though I could tell by the look of his face when he noticed me that he was internally rolling his eyes. I hoped that he wouldn't backtrack this whole fight to me, because then he'd finally have an excuse to throw me into the Slammer.

As Rich sauntered over to the Med-Jacks' hut, the crowd dispersed. Some of the boys went to the sleeping area, hoping to rest a little before the sun came up, but most of the boys returned to the fire, talking about what had just happened. I didn't know how many people had seen us kiss - I couldn't even remember for how long he kissed me. Undoubtedly though, everyone had seen Minho punch Rich in the face. Now, Minho wouldn't get banished. He probably wouldn't even have to spend any time in the Slammer. He was the Keeper of the Runners after all. He'd maybe even get Rich in there, even though he hadn't really done anything wrong. Even if he was a bit of an ass, he attacked him in self-defense.

Minho sat crouched on the ground, still holding his head. Blood dripped from underneath his hand, slowly flowing down his cheek. I sat down beside him, silent at first. He didn't say anything either, didn't even explain his actions. As much as I wanted to be angry at him, I wasn't. He kind of saved me from an incredibly awkward situation.

"Hey, Minho," I said, trying to sound kind. A harsh approach wasn't going to help right now, and the way he looked, _pathetic_ , made me empathize with him a little. Even if I didn't understand him. I gently grabbed his wrist, taking his hand off of his forehead. A thin cut ran across his hairline where his skin had split. When he looked up, I continued, "Why did you do that?"

"Shank doesn't deserve you. He shouldn't have done it."

I shrugged. "Maybe I gave him the wrong impression. Maybe he thought I liked him or something."

"It's not your fault, Harps." He frowned, which caused his cut to open up and start bleeding again. He growled, pulling his wrist out of my grip and pressing his sleeve to the wound. I noticed the small scrapes on his fingers. His knuckles were already starting to bruise. I hadn't been able to tell how badly Minho injured Rich, but he must have hit him pretty hard.

"It doesn't matter now," I said as I stared down into the grass. The blades tickled my bare ankles, sending a shiver up my spine. It had been warm enough today to wear three quarter pants, but after the sun had set, the Glade had quickly cooled down. I wrapped my arms around my legs and leaned my head onto my knees, still looking at Minho sideways. I continued, "Newt won't be happy about this."

"'Course not .. If he hears about this, he'll be just as angry at Rich."

I laughed. "I mean _you_ fighting with Rich. Alby'll have a word with you later probably."

He scratched the back of his head in thought. "Oh, yeah. Newt's gonna lecture me like the shank he is. Thinks he's my mom or something."

"Only reason you haven't completely derailed yet."

Minho huffed. "I can take care of myself." He looked over to the bar, and I followed his gaze. Upon spotting Newt, I had to suppress a smile. His mouth hung slightly open, half smudged against the bar. He used one of his arms as a pillow, the other one resting on top of his head. Every time he made a slight move in his sleep, his chair wobbled dangerously under his weight.

"Big boy," I said, shifting my gaze back to Minho. "So can I."

"You were going to push him off, right?" He asked, failing to hide the uncertainty in his voice.

"Yeah."

"You don't care?"

"I don't know. It isn't going to change anything. It already happened." I shrugged. "Besides, he couldn't have known I didn't want it. We were just having fun. Just a heat of the moment thing, probably."

"He was doing it to show off," Minho stated, leaning back on his arms so he was nearly lying on the ground. He gazed at the sky shortly before looking back at me, and said, "He was just trying to look cool. Greenies ain't that cool, you know."

"I have experienced it, yes."

"He took advantage of the situation."

I sighed in frustration. Minho didn't really have a point, I could see that now. He just wanted an excuse to punch Rich in the nose. I had seen them exchange daring looks during the night, so maybe Rich deserved it. I didn't know. And I wasn't going to ask Minho, because it would only cause him to nag more. I was kind of done with Minho for tonight, but I wasn't going to leave him like this.

"How about we get you cleaned up, hm?"

"He's-"

"Will you just shucking shut it, Minho?" I interrupted him before he could even finish his sentence. I tried to put as much fury behind my words as I could, even throwing in some Glader slang, and apparently, it had worked - Minho looked up at me in surprise, embarrassment even. Not a common look of his. I jumped up and held out my hand to help him up. Finally dropping his pride, he took it, and I lifted him to his feet, nearly falling over myself because of the weight. Holding onto his hand, I made my way over to the bathing area.

The building had an eerie feeling to it. The combination of the dark, the poor lighting and the creaking, wooden doors made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It wasn't exactly like I had great memories of this place. Every time I took a shower I now took my clothes and towel into the stall with me, risking getting them wet. At least no one could get to them in that way. After the incident with Robin, I had asked Gally to install a lock on one of the doors so I could take a shower in peace. It probably wouldn't stop someone who'd force their way in, but at least people would now that it was occupied. I made sure no one was inside before dragging Minho inside. I wasn't in the mood for some drunk Glader making comments about the fight. Or the kiss. Or us. Minho slumped down against the wall since there were no chairs, and I wet one of the dirty rags that lay by the sink.

Carefully, I brought the piece of cloth to his face. A low grunt left his lips when I first touched the wound, but he wouldn't do as much as wince as I continued cleaning his face. We sat in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each others company. I tried to focus on anything but his smug expression, his eyes following my every move. There was something incredibly calm about the situation. Minho and I hadn't ever spend our time together like this. Not on guard. We were just _there_ , with each other.

At some point, I stood up to clean the blood, dirt and sweat from the rag. While I stood by the sink, gently rinsing the fabric, I could hear Minho stand up. The wooden floor creaked under his weight as he slowly made his way over to me.

"Keep sitting, Min," I mumbled, looking down at the water that streamed down my hands. "Take some rest."

"I'm fine," Minho replied. I could feel his presence behind me. Warmth radiated off of his body like he was the sun, yet it sent shivers down my spine. I wasn't used to having him this close. I wasn't used to having anyone this close. I couldn't remember ...

Suddenly, his hands were on my hips. He had to lean forward slightly because of the difference in height, his nose nearly nudged into my hair. I was taken aback slightly, too surprised to turn around and face him. I couldn't find any courage to do so. His breath teasingly tickled my neck.

"Eh, Min?" I murmured in a small voice.

"Yeah?"

"What?"

Minho and I had a confusing relationship. Just a day ago, we weren't even talking to each other, barely glancing at each other during dinner. Now we were here, him standings so close to me. I couldn't wrap my head around this boy. He was like fire - dangerous, but so intriguing. Something that should scare you, but that makes it even more interesting. I knew that playing with fire was dangerous.

But I did it anyway. Quietly but swiftly, I turned around. His face was only inches away from mine. His eyes were much more gentle than normal, looking down at me with such softness that I nearly melted into a puddle right then and there. His eyes flickered down to my lips, and then shortly back to my eyes. He removed one of his hands from my hips to pull at one of my curls. For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. He probably would have if it hadn't been for Newt loudly entering the building.

"- and clean yourself, will ya? Nasty shank." Frypan said as he walked through the door. One of Newt's arms was around his shoulder, Frypan being the only thing to keep him steady.

A little too abruptly, I pushed Minho off of me. While he was much taller and heavier than I was, I sent him to the ground with the element of surprise. I tried to look casual as I eyed Frypan, leaning against the sink, but that was a little hard with Minho still splayed out on the floor. The Cook had only noticed us when Minho had fallen over, his eyes wide with both confusion and excitement. Newt hadn't seen us yet, still blabbering incoherently to Frypan.

"Hell-ooo," I said, trying to sound as carefree as I could. I conjured a sheepish smile onto my face, making the situation seem all the more suspicious probably. I was going to hear all about this at work tomorrow.

"Harper!" Newt greeted. He waved at me shortly. "Haven't seen you in some time." He then saw Minho, who had scrambled to his feet. "And Minho! The whole gang together!"

Well, at least Newt hadn't seen what had happened only moments before. Frypan on the other hand was still staring at us, his gaze shifting between Minho and I every couple of seconds. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly. I had never seen him speechless like this before.

I couldn't help but feel awkward gawking at each other in silence, so I said, "We'll take care of that, if you want."

"Sure," he blurted out, nodding slowly. As Minho moved over to take Newt from him, Frypan said to me, "I'm hearing the whole story tomorrow."

Oh man.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Hellooo! Two whole weeks. I was busy. But I'm here now! District DivergentPotterhead, same dude. I live for jealous Minho. Queenbeee222, well, this sort-of solved it. Minper sound pretty legit. Harpo? MinHarp? TheDarkGirl007, hope you enjoyed!  .Maze, hope you enjoyed as well. We'll see about the whole couple thing ;) ... GLADERGIRL, here you go. __Lily , well, thank you for making it all the way to chapter 30 :). I'm kind of curious as to why you prefer Newt and Harper. Lots of people seem to be Minper. Would love to know! percabeth9349, of course he'll create a scene. It's Minho, for shuck's sake. I'm not sure if Alby is going to let her become a Runner, but since when does our girl really listen to him, hm? :). Let me know what your thoughts are on this chap, guys! Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	32. Chapter XXXII: Lost and Found

\- # -

 _ **Chapter XXXII**_

 _Lost and Found_

After the Bonfire, I spent my days avoiding both Minho and Rich. Considering that they were both friends with my other friends as well and that they were constantly trying to talk to me, made this a challenging task. I hid in extra work, taking more shifts in the Kitchens than usual. Frypan, of course, instantly had noticed something was off. All the sudden, I was doing the dishes, the job I hated the most, for God's sake. But like the good friend he was, he didn't question it. He sent Minho away when he came looking for me, and scared Rich off with one of his Frypan looks. The only thing he wanted to know in return was what had happened at the party. Frypan would normally be the last person I'd tell, after Alby, but I needed someone to talk to. Newt wasn't an option - he had only experienced the first half of the night. Nobody had really filled him in on what had happened after he passed out, though from his friends' injuries, he could tell _something_ had happened. From what I heard, Minho told him that they had been play-wrestling "casually". Not like Newt really believed it, but he didn't have anything else to go by.

I had told Frypan everything. Beginning to end. He didn't interrupt me like he usually did. He just sat in silence, looking stern, as if he was thinking of a solution to all of it. In the end, he had agreed to keep the boys at bay for me. After all, it was _his_ kitchen. And everyone knew what happened when someone disrespected Frypan in his own kitchen. I had heard that, once, he let some boy nearly starve because he had insulted Frypan's food.

Because of my extra shifts, I almost always ate dinner later in the evening with the other Cooks. None of us were very talkative - I had that figured out by now. But we enjoyed each others company. I never really talked to them much, but I considered them friends of mine in some way. We were a pretty good team. The only meal I had with the other Gladers, was lunch. Rich was smart enough not to approach me then, so I mostly sat with Christian, Lennon and Dean. All of them knew. Fortunately, they didn't like Rich as much anymore as well. I still saw them together sometimes, but I couldn't blame them for that. He hadn't done anything to them.

I hadn't gone running ever since either. Both because I was a little scared to be ambushed by either Minho and Rich, and because I wasn't so sure of the job anymore. Alby was never going to let me become a Runner. Besides, after Frypan's little story about the Grievers and Newt's suicide attempt, the Maze didn't sit right with me. There was something seriously wrong. I was a little disappointed in myself that I hadn't figured it out any sooner. But without anyone to tell me, how should I have been able to discover such things? I understood that it was to keep everyone safe - making sure not many people know. It was the reason I wouldn't tell Dean.

At night, I couldn't bring myself to fall asleep. So much had happened the past weeks, and I kept going over them in my mind. I was worried about Newt, angry with Rich and I didn't even know how to feel about Minho. It was one particular night, though, that I had trouble clearing my mind. The only thing I could think of was waking Newt and talking to him, but I didn't want to wake him up in the middle of the night with something small like this. After some time - it could be seconds, minutes, hours - I got out of my hammock, though.

I silently slipped through the grass, my feet getting wet with the dew. On my tiptoes, I quickly stalked around the side of the Homestead. Most of the time, the main door was unlocked, but like the first time I sneaked in, it wouldn't budge. A string of swears left my lips as I shook the doorknob, rattling the door in its hinges. What did I do before? I laughed softly upon remembering Minho's sleeping state. Maybe he had left his window open again. I made my way over to where I thought his room was. Yes! He had indeed left his window open. I did a little victory dance, before slowly opening the window further.

I was inside the room with one leg, when someone silently said, "What the _shuck_ do you think you're doing?"

Minho sat up in his bed slightly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Even though he looked exhausted, he still had this smug Minho look on his face. I was caught red-handed. No way that I was going to blabber my way out of this. There was no use trying, but I tried anyway. Always worth a shot, right?

"I was just closing this window," I said, patting the glass with my hand. "You'll catch a cold if you leave it open over night."

He quirked up an eyebrow in suspicion. "You're halfway inside my room."

"I - eh ... couldn't reach the window."

"I never leave it open this wide." Minho scratched the back of his neck, a puzzled expression on his face. Both he and I knew that I wouldn't be able to come up with a decent excuse. But I knew Minho, and he probably wouldn't just let me out of this. I needed time to think of an escape plan.

"The wind _must_ have blown it open further."

"There's barely any wind in the Glade."

"There was a - eh, a _shift_ in the constellations to make this happen."

"Stop talking klunk, Harps."

Without giving him an answer, I tried to hop back outside, but Minho was by my side faster than the speed of sound. He had me by my ankle, and I was forced to sweep my other leg inside as well. I sat in the windowsill, my arms crossed in front of my chest in protest.

Minho chuckled deeply, mimicking my posture. He quirked up an eyebrow in amusement. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered or creeped out."

"Neither. I was just trying to find a way in."

"And I left my window open."

"Exactly!"

"Right," he scratched the back of his neck, looking thoughtful. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Newt."

The expression on Minho's face changed so fast, it scared me. His curiosity had turned into spite. "Of course you shucking are," he sneered, rolling his eyes. "In the middle of the night?"

"I couldn't fall asleep?"

"And why's that?"

I took a couple of seconds to gather my thoughts, hesitating, before I said, "You."

Minho's lips curled up into a cocky smirk. I wasn't sure how he meant it. "I get that-"

I cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "I don't _get_ you! I don't know how to feel about you!" My voice was in between a shout and a whisper, heat rising to my cheeks. "One moment, we're fighting, the other we're nearly .. well, you know what I mean. What's up with you?"

"Speak for yourself." Minho narrowed his eyes. "You're kind of giving me mixed signals here."

"Am not."

"Yes you shucking are! You don't know klunk about priorities. Running from one to another, trying to take care of everything, as if that's your job. And what's going on with you and Newt?"

"Why would anything be going on between us?"

"I saw it. Frypan saw it. Don't shucking try to deny it."

I remember when Alby confronted me with this. Minho had told him. I shook my head and said, "We're friends."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"That's none of your business!" I had a hard time keeping my voice down.

Minho opened his mouth to throw something back at me, but I was already at the door. Before he could stop me, I was out of his room, slamming the door in his face. I walked quickly in case he would follow me through the hall, but both he and I knew that he wouldn't do that. People could wake up. Besides, I couldn't avoid Minho forever.

 _\- # -_

I woke up in my own hammock. Newt and I had only talked briefly the night before. Fortunately, he had unlocked the door for me, so I wouldn't have to sneak through Minho's window or something like that. I told him what had happened, and he didn't really know what to think either. Minho was dynamite with a very short fuse. Just the smallest thing could set a spark to it and before you know it, you're being blown to pieces.

The sun wasn't even visible yet when I made my way over to the Kitchens. I was the last of the Cooks from my shift to arrive, which was unusual for me. Not as punctual as always. Frypan didn't say anything, but I could feel his eyes burning in the back of my head. He knew it if I didn't sleep well, and he'd always ask me what was the problem. He would get the story out of me somehow.

I hid back against the stove mostly, just to avoid Minho. While I was flipping eggs, I could hear him talk briefly to Frypan. Luckily, Frypan still held onto his promise, and made sure he went away as soon as he had his lunch. Only when the other Gladers woke up, one boy in particular he couldn't send away.

"Ya holdin' up the line, greenie," Frypan said, somewhat annoyed. Rich had been standing in front of the Kitchens hesitantly for more than a minute, his plate wobbling in his hands. "Move right on over."

"I have something for Harper."

"She's busy."

"Can you give it to her?"

Frypan looked over his shoulder at me, quirking up both eyebrows. I shrugged, telling him I didn't know what was going on either. He turned his head to look at Rich and nodded. Rich handed something over, I couldn't see from where I stood. I almost even forgot about it until the end of my shift, but Frypan reminded me.

"Believe this is yours?" He said, even though I was almost out the door, calling me back in. My eyebrows furrowed together into a frown upon seeing what he was holding. Something I had lost days ago.

In his hands was my water bottle.

 _\- # -_

 ** _I totally understand it if you hate me. I had a huge writer's block, couldn't write more than three sentences in one sitting. But here you have something anyway. Definitely not my best. The end of the chapter, though, starts a whole new problem, because how the hell did Rich get that bottle? District DivergentPotterhead, well, Newt still doesn't know anything. He'll find out, though. Someday. For the sake of drama, heheheh. Percabeth9349, Minho's POV would have been cool too, now that I come to think of it. Damn. We'll have to take another look at those shipnames as soon as our girl makes up her mind. I guess there are Baggers in this story, but I don't really want to talk about those a lot. They're pretty boring in my opinion. Maybe an ambition for Rich? Oh, and I think Gally made it through the Flat. The deaths in the books are different from those in the books, but I think everyone made it except for the major deaths. Don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read Death Cure yet, heh. You should be able to find it on the wiki page for the Maze Runner, I think. TheDarkGirl007, thank you! Minper sounds pretty cool. _****_Percabeth9349 , maybe Newt and Harper should be Hawt. I like the sound of it *wiggles eyebrows*. TolkienGeek1, thanks :)! We're all crazy fangirls for jealous Minho. __.Maze HOLY SHIT INDEED.  Sophia P, same. I'll def keep writing, no worries. Now that I think of it guys, we should totally do a poll on the ships in this fic. Let me know in the reviews what team you're on. Even if it isn't Harper-canon. Would love to hear some ideas! Until next time._**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	33. Chapter XXXIII: Strangers

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXXIII_**

 _Strangers_

So maybe I did have a history of evading confrontation, but I couldn't shake the images of someone following me through the Deadheads. Of _Rich_ following me through the Deadheads. Minho would have noticed for sure if something was off. The one time I had gone without him, something like this happened. I should have seen it coming. I sat thinking in my hammock, twisting the bottle absentmindedly in my hands. Somehow, I had to find out what happened. Rich would probably have some questions for me as well. There was almost no doubt that he had followed me. I had been in such an abandoned part of the Deadheads, he couldn't have found it by himself. The problem was, Rich wasn't stupid. Not like the usual greenie.

I tossed the bottle aside and hopped out of my hammock, determined to get some answers. It was just after breakfast, and Frypan had given me some time off. The nice thing about Frypan was that he could read faces like books - he knew when I needed a break. I really cherished him as a friend. At least he didn't have a temper like Minho, or Newt's seriousness. He didn't ask questions, which was always good in my case.

Rich had begun his job as a Bagger a couple of days ago. I found it strange that the Keepers had voted Baggers as the job best fit for him. Rich was strong and pretty smart - he could have had any job. But it was even stranger that he had just accepted it. No one really wanted to be a Bagger. Their work was even more boring than being a Slopper. All they did was guard the Maze, and resolve fights, but those almost never happened. The scariest thing was them burying the dead, but fortunately, I hadn't experienced it yet.

It didn't take me long to find him. He was leaning against the Maze wall, just inches away from the enormous opening. He had his eyes closed - how would he see if anyone was passing the entrance? - as he soaked up the sun, so he didn't see it coming when I nearly pushed him into the wall. I tried my most intimidating face, even though I was inches smaller than Rich. The smirk on his face told me he wasn't very impressed.

"Good day to you too, Harper," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looked down on me.

"Don't play nice with me." I narrowed my eyes. "Where did you get my bottle?"

"Why do you care?" He quirked up an eyebrow.

"I don't like people touching my stuff."

"Well, I wasn't the one who found it," Rich stated, scratching the back of his head.

When I thought I couldn't be surprised more, I was. Then who _did_ find it? And why does Rich have to be the one to hand it over to me?

"I'm not supposed to tell you who did find it though," he quickly added with a shrug.

"But-"

Rich interrupted my protest. "So if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work."

"Eh, you're just _standing_ here." I cocked my head to the side, a look of disbelief on my face. "That's your job. Sure got time for a talk."

"I don't think you want to know."

That made it even more interesting.

"You better tell me, or I'll tell Alby you stole it from me."

"And what's Alby going to do about it?" Rich laughed. "He doesn't even like you."

Now I regretted venting to my friends about Alby. Rich exactly knew my place in the Glade, which definitely wasn't anything high-ranked. Even if I was friends with Keepers and second-in-commands. "That may be. But still, it isn't allowed. He'll deal with it."

"Minho will deal with it, you mean."

"What do you mean?"

He pointed at his nose in response, which was all shades of purple and blue.

"I didn't tell him to punch you! Besides, you started it!" I couldn't help the blaming tone in my voice.

"How is this my fault?" He asked, heat rising to his face.

"You.. you _kissed_ me," I hissed angrily.

"So?" He whispered, suddenly inching closer. Just to irk me, and it was working. I felt the heat rising to my face, making me look even more stupid, like I was blushing.

I took a step back, creating more distance between us. I wasn't going to let him do this again. "Keep to yourself, will you."

Before he could say anything, I walked away. If I had stayed any longer, the balloon inside my head would probably have burst. My heart pounded against my chest like a hammer, _thump-thump, thump-thump_ , as I marched back to the Homestead, out of his view. I didn't really know who to turn to now. Minho and I hadn't spoken since last night, and I didn't want to make him even more upset. Newt didn't know anything about what had happened at the party, which I wanted to keep that way. And I always went to Frypan with all of my problems. He deserved a break as well.

I leaned back against the wooden wall, small splinters pricking into my neck. What I would give for some more time off, to just be free from all the rules and duties in the Glade. I had to ask Minho about his progress on finding an exit as soon as he had sorted himself out a bit. Up until then, I would have to twiddle my thumbs and be patient. My daydreaming nearly caused me to miss the waving hand in the distance. Dean waved at me, and as soon as he saw that he had my attention, gestured for me to come over.

I strolled over to the Gardens, barely succeeding in not looking Rich's way.

"What's up, little one?" I asked, ruffling his hair. He pretended like he hated it; me calling him little one and messing up his hair. I could tell though that he liked having someone look over him. Lennon, Christian and I had done a good job taking care of him. I hoped that Dean himself was smart enough not to venture anywhere near Rich, though he seemed more scared of Minho. I wished Dean hadn't been at the Bonfire.

He rolled his eyes, feigning annoyance. "Just picking some 'matoes."

He grabbed a tomato from his basket and squeezed it as he made weird faces at me. I couldn't help but chuckle at his poor attempt at entertainment, but it was all we had at the moment. Only when he squeezed the tomato a bit too tightly and had it splash all over him, I burst out laughing.

We noticed Zart coming up behind Dean a little too late. "Hello Harper, distracting him from his work, hm?" He winked, patting Dean on his shoulder. "How's it going, shanks?"

Dean looked up at Zart slowly, before looking back at the exploded tomato in his hand. Almost like in a cartoon, Zart eyes became big, before he brought both hands to his face. In no more than three seconds, he experienced all five stages of grief.

"My tomat- ... OES, DEAN!"

Zart plucked the basket from Dean's hands hastily, wrapping his arms around it to protect the precious things it held, and said, "How.. how about you go pull some weeds over at the potatoes? And stay FAR away from my other vegetables."

"Yes, Zart," he said, though as soon as he was out of earshot, added, "... the _fart_."

"Dean!" I exclaimed, playfully pushing his shoulder.

"What? I can't help that Zart rhymes with fart."

"He can't help that his name is Zart."

"You're no fun." Dean huffed. "Are you gonna help me with the weeds?"

"Don't think so," I said, squeezing his arm to encourage him. "Frypan's gonna need me soon for lunch."

"What's for lunch?"

"Don't know." I looked over at Zart, who had put the basket out of reach. "Definitely not tomatoes."

Dean laughed. For the first time in the past couple of minutes, I sneaked a glance in Rich's direction. He was in his old position again, leaning lazily against the wall, enjoying the warm day. If I hadn't known him, I would think he was attractive and kind-looking. Once again my eyes had deceived me. It had to be a talent to be so trusting. As I returned my attention to Dean, I saw him looking over as well.

"I know what happened, y'know." He turned back to me, bothered.

"I know."

"Yeah."

"Everyone knows." I sighed. "Or at least everyone I care for. Newt doesn't know, probably. But I didn't want to make things like this."

"He was kind of nice at first, right?"

"He was," I agreed, chewing on the inside of my cheek. "Can I tell you a secret, Dean?"

"Sure," he said, though he sounded a bit unsure.

I looked around, checking if no one was around, before leaning in closer. "I think he's been following me."

I kind of expected him to burst out laughing, but all he did was frown. "Why would he do that?"

I threw my arms in the air. "I wouldn't know. It's just- .. Nevermind."

"Spill it, Harper. I ain't stupid."

For so long now, I had been carrying my secrets. Now finally, I had my chance to share them. It was hard to resist keeping to myself, but somewhere along the tracks, I had to change. The right moment was right now. So I told him everything. Everything that had happened in the Glade since I had come up the Box, and even everything I had been told by the others. Robin's taunting. Being denied as a Runner, and training secretly with Minho in the Deadheads. All my fights with Minho, discussions with Newt, and disagreements with Alby. From my first Bonfire party, to my last, to what I had confronted Rich with. He didn't interrupt me, which I appreciated. He just stared down at his hands, his expressions changing every few seconds.

"And now, I really don't know what to do. Minho's angry at me. Newt I can't tell. Alby isn't going to help, and I want to leave Lennon and Christian out of this."

"So you decided to tell a 12-year old boy with only one month of life experience?"

"Ehrm, yes."

Dean grinned. "I'm glad you told me, though. You seemed a bit messed up the last couple of days."

"Thanks." I rolled my eyes, but smiled as well. At least he noticed.

"So, how are we going to get him?"

"What? What do you want to do?"

Dean scratched his neck while he thought. "We could find out if he _really_ is following you."

"And how exactly do you want to do that?"

A cheeky glimmer appeared in his eyes. "Here's the plan."

 _\- # -_

 _ **It's your girl with a brand new chapter! Bet you thought you had seen the last of me! THINK AGAIN! I don't even know how to apologize for the long break, but I'm back with heaps of inspiration. Sorry for the shortness as well, but I didn't want to randomly cut to a whole other scene. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and also a big thank you to .Maze for giving me a well-deserved kick under the ass (even if I still delayed this chapter a little more..). School has been loads of work lately, but the end of the year is near, so things are calming down a bit. kidadigasha, welcome to you, glad you found this story as well & are enjoying it! bangstn, welcome as well, and a biiiiig thank you! It always puts a smile to my face when people think this story stands out. Again, so sorry for everyone who waited. But my writing should be a little more frequent now. I got stuck on this chapter for a loooong time, because I really didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with Rich. Who is a total asshat, by the way, as you may have seen. Wanted to put a little Dean in here, because he's my precious cinnamon roll. Next chapter should be out somewhere next week, and will involve some Thomas back at WICKED. Stay tuned! Until next time!**_

 _ **\- paperkite**_


	34. Chapter XXXIV: Rivalry

**_So got a little Tommy chapter here. Before y'all get confused, it's not exactly in time with the rest of the story. Just a little of Tommy's perspective of_ the _night. Some other things after that. As I'm writing this, I don't even know. You'll see._  
**

 _\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXXIV_**

 _Rivalry_

 ** _t_**

Whenever someone new entered the Glade, the Gladers threw a big party. 'The Bonfire', they called it. I didn't know when exactly they came up with it, but the tradition was still going strong. As an outsider, it was interesting to see how people could come up with these kind of things from scratch. They didn't know _anything._ Well, they knew their name. They knew how a society worked. They knew about the sun, the stars, how twenty-four hours made a day, how daylight left with the sun and pulled the night sky over the walls of the Maze.

But there were so many things they didn't know.

We were on one side of the glass, they were on the other. The kind of glass people put in their kitchen windows. The people inside can see what is outside, but the people outside can't see what is inside. They didn't even know that we were here, that we were watching their every move. I guess that somewhere deep inside, they still know. I'm still not sure how the wiping process exactly works. Can you just completely replace someone's mind completely?

According to the Chancellor, it was possible.

As days were passing, I was dreading my own arrival in the Glade. I knew it was for the greater good. Could anything be more important than finding a cure for the Flare? It was egoistic to think, but I did not want to lose my memories. I wanted to remember. And I knew right now, that in the end, I would remember. The whole plan had been laid out to me. It wouldn't matter if I knew or not. The swipe would remove all that knowledge anyway. Still it couldn't entirely comfort me.

The thing that did comfort me was the fact that people were able to find each other. Boys that had been friends before the Maze Trials started, had become friends again. Hopefully, I would be able to find them as well. Had to hide them somewhere in the back of my mind, where the Swipe couldn't reach.

When the Gladers first started throwing 'greenie'-parties, people would gather around the monitors to watch. Not even to study their brain patterns, or _them,_ but to watch them having fun. Fun wasn't a very well known concept at the WICKED facility. Parties were taboo. Birthdays were barely acknowledged, and your only gift was an extra dessert. The group became smaller and smaller every time, because work had to be done. But I watched every time, almost mesmerized by them. They were chatting, dancing, making music. Drinking some strange kind of alcohol, which got you drunk within a matter of time. They were telling jokes and laughing, pretending they didn't have to get back to work in the morning.

This last party, though, they went on until deep in the night. Most people had already gone to bed. It was past curfew for me as well, though the Chancellor often didn't seem to mind me working late. It was just Teresa and I, and some others, though they seemed to have lost interest. Teresa was very amused by Newt's drunken state. He and Minho were talking about something, but we didn't dare bring the beetle blades closer than this. The Gladers had figured out by now that it was some kind of spy mechanism and stayed away from them as much as possible. From half underneath the bar, they didn't seem to notice the faint blinking light of the camera.

"Wait, steer over there. Something's going on. Minho's looking away," Teresa said, pointing at the screen and urging me to turn the camera.

I slowly turned the beetle blade to the side, making as less sound as possible. Minho had been looking at the fire, where many Gladers were dancing and having fun. Harper was an unmistakable figure though, with her big curls and radiant smile. She was close to a boy who I recognized as Rich, the last boy we sent up. He had a sly grin on his face, his eyes not once leaving the girl in front of him. I had heard that Harper had become friends with him. When he was still at WICKED, I hadn't liked him one bit. He was manipulative, like a wolf watching over sheep. Exactly the way he was watching her right now.

"Oh. My. God." Teresa's mouth fell open. She looked at me, but I was so lost in thought, she had to harshly shake me out of it. "Look at that!"

The others perked their ears up and shifted their chairs just the slightest bit closer to the screen. I frowned, looking at the screen. I didn't see what was wrong immediately, but soon I caught sight of Rich and Harper. Rich _kissing_ Harper. My stomach tied itself into knots. "What does he think he's doing?"

"Little prick," Teresa hissed, crossing her arms and sitting back with narrowed eyes.

"Asshole," I said through gritted teeth, though I wanted to say things much more harsher.

" _Asshole_ ," Teresa agreed.

Before we could throw any more obscenities at his head, someone else jumped in. In a split second, two boys were on the ground, with a crowd of boys either cheering them on or trying to tear them away from each other. Harper was frantically pulling at the sleeve of the boy on top, failing in getting him off of Rich. Somehow she seemed to catch his attention though, and the boy turned his head. The angry brown eyes and jet black hair were unmistakably Minho's.

Teresa and I looked at each other in surprise. Minho wasn't the type of person to get involved in fights like these. He always stayed away from Gally's mosh-pit. Never spoke much in a Gathering. He kept to himself and his friends, and him and Rich were definitely not friends. At least not after tonight.

Though the boys weren't fighting physically anymore, Minho was making big gestures at an almost nonchalant Rich. Fortunately, Alby stepped in, and the crowd dispersed. Minho and Harper were left alone, while Rich strolled over to the make-shift hospital to get his bleeding nose patched up. As I was trying to get a better view on them, maybe even eavesdrop a bit, the screen went completely black. Teresa and I had been so focused on what had been happening in front of us, we hadn't seen Janson come in. His narrow eyes were staring us down.

"Shouldn't you be ... _asleep_?"

"Probably." Teresa shrugged. "Guess we'll go now."

She grabbed my hand and darted out of the room, leaving behind a confused Janson. I still didn't get how Teresa was able to get away with being so big-mouthed towards the authorities at WICKED.

We only spoke after we were back in our bedrooms safely. Telepathically. Neither of us wanted to get in any more trouble, so we didn't want to sneak around any more. At least not tonight. We had been lucky that Janson had found us instead of the Chancellor. In general, the Chancellor was kinder, but she tended to scold us like little children whenever we disobeyed the rules just by a little.

 _"I'm sorry."_

 _"Why?"_ I frowned, even though she couldn't see my face.

 _"I know you really liked her."_

Truth was, I still really liked her. She liked me once too. I guessed, at least. Nothing had ever been very official. Not that it ever could have been at WICKED. I had been friends with guys that were in the Trials now. Yet there was still a significant gap between us that couldn't just be crossed. I had responsibilities. Big responsibilities. In the end, they were just pieces in a game. I was the person playing the game. Harper realised that too.

I shook the thought of her away. Of her soft, freckly skin. Of her ringing laugh. Of holding hands-

I had to stop that.

 _"But_ ," she hesitantly continued, _"she doesn't know you anymore. Maybe ..."_

I knew what she wanted me to say. _"I should let her go."_

 _"You should try to."_

I didn't want to get angry at her when we could only talk telepathically. Arguing like that was impossible and only caused frustration, but I hated the way she thought. Didn't she miss our friends?

 _"This isn't about Harper only, Teresa. Can you just let everyone go? All of our friends?"_

She didn't reply for a long time. Then she said, " _It's all for the greater good, Tom."_

Even if it was true, it infuriated me. I didn't know what to reply. Whatever I said to Teresa, she would always defend WICKED.

 _"Tom, are you there?"_

 _"Yeah."_

The weird thing was, Teresa had never liked Harper much. Harper had never liked Teresa much. I didn't even know where or how it had started. They were very much alike. Stubborn. Fearless. Driven. Fatally beautiful. If not for small, certain things, they could have been friends. But where Harper was soft, Teresa was manipulative. Where Harper could contain herself, Teresa always had to have things her way.

Teresa wasn't sorry at all.

 _"Hey? Tom?"_ Her voice came drifting in between all my thoughts. That was the thing about Teresa; she was always there. She was like an anchor. Surely, she would never betray me. Not like Harper had betrayed WICKED.

 _"I'm just going to sleep,"_ I replied, and with that I closed the gates to my mind

Still, when she said goodnight, she swarmed my head.

 _\- # -_

 ** _How does my one week always end up being two weeks?! Sorry this is so short guys. I didn't want to make any weird jumps, so this is just a separate little chapter. So I never even mentioned this before, oops, but this isn't at all going to follow Fever Code. I haven't even read it yet.. I read the first couple of chapters, but I really couldn't get into it. Have any of you read it? What did you think? Anyway, I wasn't so certain about this chapter, but I'm always in for writing some drama, so here you go :)! Queenbeee222 & Person, I know right? Cinnamon roll needs to be protected at all costs! __BookNerd011504_ _, got another update for ya! Hope you enjoyed this one as much. Percabeth9349, my girl! Duh, of course I'm not gone! Will Harper survive? *evilly rubs hands together*. I don't have plans for her death yet. So no worries. I heard about Quotev. (shoutout to NotImmune go read her stories my lil sis thanks for telling me about quotev don't hate me). I don't have Quotev. Yet. I might publish it there. Depends. Maybe. Who knows? Is the Maze Runner fandom big there? Thanks for the promoting! :D.  .Maze, thank the gods indeed. Prrrrraise! So, that was it for my little author's note. Anything else? No. Wait. Yes. Note how I'm always writing my author's note as I'm thinking, without ever deleting things. WE HIT OVER A 100 FOLLOWERS. A LONG TIME AGO, PROBABLY. BUT STILL. THANK YOU! AND EXACTLY 150 REVIEWS! YEA! Only one more favourite for 75 faves. yas. OH, AND OVER 30000 VIEWS. ?! HOW? BUT THANKS! So that was my little excitement for the day. Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	35. Chapter XXXV: Breathless

_\- # -_

 ** _Chapter XXXV_**

 _Breathless_

The cool shade of the Deadheads always did me good. It didn't take away the eeriness of the looming trees, but it was something wholly different from the hotness of the sun that shone right into the Glade all day. With every step I took, shivers ran down my spine. If it wasn't for Dean's plan to catch Rich, I would have never stepped another foot in here again. Like always though, my pride won from my fear. I couldn't just let Rich scare me out of this place, and I was much to eager to put him in his place. Make sure he'll never bother me again, or at least won't creep up on me when I'm all alone.

Even though it was only me, myself and I, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. My eyes darted through the trees and the bushes. Every couple of seconds I would look over my shoulder, though no one was there. It's like when you can see something in the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, it has already moved just a little out of your sight.

Well, obviously, it could be that I was being followed again. If Dean saw anyone suspicious entering the Deadheads after me, he would quickly tell Zart that he had to go to the bathroom, even though you're supposed to go during your break. No Glader, especially not Zart, could resist those big, brown, puppy eyes, so he would surely let him go. Zart was the kind of person that wouldn't even notice if Dean was gone for half an hour, to "use the toilet", so our plan was pretty much seamless. I was going there down one of the smaller paths, making sure I made as much noise as I could so that any possible stalkers wouldn't lose track of me. No twig could hide from me. Dean didn't know his way around the Deadheads very well, but he knew how to get to the pile of fertilizer - Zart always made him get it. That was where we would meet.

As I crushed one underneath my boot, goosebumps appeared all over my body. Out of habit, I looked over my shoulder again, only to see an empty path. I shook my head and muttered, "I'm becoming paranoid."

I slowly rubbed my arms, warming up my skin again. My mind was just playing tricks on me, but I couldn't help but jump when I heard leaves rustle behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks, standing completely still. I closed my eyes and held my breath, so no sound could get past my ears unnoticed. My senses were heightened, multiplied by ten. But all I could hear were birds, and water rushing in the distance.

It didn't take me long to reach the big pile of fertilizer. The smell was absolutely disgusting; I had to fight the urge to retch. I sat down in the grass, which was still coated with drops of dew, putting as much distance as possible between me and the fertilizer without going unnoticed by Dean, if he ever came here. The damp grass made me shiver even harder. I had to get back to work in one hour. Dean and I had agreed to wait half an hour, and if Dean hadn't shown up by then, I would return to the Glade and we would have to try again another time.

With the blades of grass and flowers gently tickling my legs and small spots of sun on my face, it was hard not to fall asleep. However, the thought of someone watching me sleep in the shadows was enough to keep me awake here. I had no sense of time whatsoever. Hours could have passed. Minutes. Ten seconds. Only the Runners had watches, so I could only guess. Not that I had a problem with hanging out here. The Deadheads were pretty peaceful, though you wouldn't be able to tell from the name. The pile of animal feces was, however, a small downside.

After a while, I must have gotten accustomed to the sounds of the forest, because at first, I didn't even hear the crunching leaves. The sound only lasted a split second - whoever - or whatever - had made the sound had quickly realised their mistake. But not quickly enough. My eyes had been lazily shut, but now they were wide open, slowly looking around but taking in every detail. Where had the sound come from? I looked to my right, but there was nothing there. Nor was there anything to my left.

In the corner of my eye, I saw something shoot away.

I turned my head to look. Nothing. "Hey!" I said, but with much more hesitance than I had intended.

Silence.

"I saw you!" I was to nervous to yell. "Don't hide from me." The lack of intimidation in my voice must have seemed a little pathetic.

Slowly, I stood up. I quickly brushed the dirt and grass off of my pants, before making my way over to where I thought I had seen something move. My eyebrows furrowed together into a frown as I tilted my head, trying my hardest to notice the slightest change in atmosphere. My level of alertness had gone beyond paranoid. Nothing would be able to escape me, or, well, I tried to believe that.

Someone jumped out of the bushes, nearly knocking me over in the process.

"Hey!" I yelled, trying to grasp onto the boy. The fabric of his shirt ripped in my hands.

He had fast feet, but I had a determined mind and in this fight, that was worth much more. He tried to run, but I held onto him, pulling and yelling. Apparently, he hadn't expected that. He stumbled, which caused me to trip I over my own feet, his feet, fall, take him down with me. We rolled around in the dirt, rolling over, on top, down, tangled in each other. We came to a stop after a couple of seconds, though it had felt like a lifetime.

The world turned. I saw stars. Breathless.

"Impressive, girly."

"What are you _doing_ here?" I breathed heavily. Our fall had knocked the wind out of me. Or maybe it was the fact that the boy wasn't at all who I expected him to be. I rolled onto the ground, stroking my hair out of my eyes.

Whenever Minho smiled, his eyes completely lit up. I wanted to slap the stupid grin right off of his face. What was he thinking, creeping on me like that? Before he could answer my question, I stood up again and harshly pushed him over and said, "You nearly gave me a heart attack! What is wrong with you?"

"You should have had that much shucking power when we trained together." Stupid. Grin.

"What. Are. You-"

Minho interrupted me before I could ask the question again. "I could ask you the same. You're walking in the Deadheads, while you should be at work. You're here. All alone. Creeps like-"

Now it was my time to interrupt him. "Like you?" I asked, a cynical laugh jumping off of my lips.

"Touché," he said, trying to suppress a chuckle, but failing horribly. He added, "I meant Rich, or Robin or someone like that."

"Why would they do that?" I asked obliviously, as if I wasn't here expecting one of them. "And then, why are you here, hm?" With just the slightest bit of sass, I crossed my arms in front of my chest, pulling up my eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"As I was saying," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "To make sure there weren't any shuck-faced creepers following you."

"Well, you're already a little too late for that."

"What do you mean?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Remember the last Gathering?" I smiled sheepishly. "About that. I didn't have anything to do. You were at the Gathering. So I thought, "Why not do some training myself? I'm a big girl, I can take it". So that's what I did. Then someone followed me and took-"

" _About_ that." Minho ridiculously tried to imitate my voice and facial expression. "Guess what I did as soon as Alby let us go?"

"Ehr, you ... went to take a klunk?"

"I'm not stupid, Harps. Some boy told me you went off into the Deadheads by yourself."

"So?"

His expression told me that at this moment, I was at the absolute top of stupidity. Ignorance is bliss, right? He mumbled something under his breath, not at all loud enough for me to hear, so I asked, "Could you repeat that?"

"I had to make sure you were alright, okay? The Deadheads isn't a frolicky fairytale forest, ya know."

It finally fully dawned on me. " _You_ were the creepy stalkery guy?" Now I was confused.

"If you want to call it that. I would rather think of myself as a knight in shining armor."

Ignoring his enormous ego and bright as the sun smirk, I continued, just as perplexed as I was moment before, "But, Rich was the one who brought back my water bottle? With the biggest, stupidest grin ever? How-"

"I gave it to him."

For a couple of seconds, I stared at him blankly, before bursting out laughing. I covered my mouth with my hands, trying to calm myself, but the expression on Minho's face, which was full of surprise at my reaction, only made me more hysterical. In between giggles, I managed to say, "You- You're so, _so_ full, of klunk."

"Hey - what? Full of klunk?" Minho gestured at me with both hands, his pride hurt by my remark. "Have you looked at yourself?"

"You're the creep here!" A cheeky smile kept tugging my lips, even when I tried to stop laughing. "I mean, I believe you. But I thought you were all cool. All high 'Keeper-of-the-Runners-look-at-me!' and mighty."

Minho looked like he was going to object, but couldn't. After all, what I had said was true, though it was neither a compliment or an insult. It was just the way Minho was.

"Anyway, I'm out of here," I said, turning on my heels, not even waiting for Minho's response. He could do what he want. Keeper-of-the-Runners mighty, my ass.

"Oh, you're so smart, aren't you?" I hear him mutter behind me, but I keep on walking. Only when I feel his hand on my shoulder, I stop in my tracks. He turns me around, and without even touching my face, forces me to look at him. His eyes hold mine captive. There's nothing funny about his expression, just seriousness. Worry.

"You don't think I'm really a creep, do you?"

I roll my eyes at him and laugh, much to his displeasure. "Of course not."

"I was only looking out for you," he said, much softer than I have ever seen him.

"I know," I said, avoiding his gaze. Which was hard, with his face only inches from mine. "That's what friends do for each other."

"Friends?"

What?

Before I knew it, his fingers were on my face, gently brushing my hair behind my ear. Life in the Glade had made his hands rough, but my head felt very safe held by them. But that was only an afterthought, because no second after he touched me with his fingers, his lips were on mine.

The world turned. I saw stars. Breathless.

"What the _KLUNK_ is going on?"

 _\- # -_

 ** _It has been three months of total silence. FBI squads failed to find any trace of my inspiration. The army couldn't find anything. My writer's mind was completely gone. But! I have returned! Thank you for you patience, dear readers! Because I am back! With a trrrrreat! I know this isn't the longest thing I have ever written, but I wanted to get this out. No worries, I am already working on the next chapter. I am not planning on a three month break again. Anyway, *that* just happened. I have to suppress the urge to squeal whenever Harper and Minho are together. Their dialogue and dynamics are so much fun to write. Finally Minho took his chances, stopped being a complete wuss and kissed her! K-I-S-S-E-D! But you know me by now. I love messing up perfectly happy Gladers. We'll see what happens, (insert evil hand rubbing). .Maze , nah ah! Our girl has lots of stuff to do still. SpeechBubbleMe, we all know that if Theresa hadn't been there, Thomas would probably have smashed a screen or two. percabeth9349, I haven't tried QuoteV yet, though I made an account. A long long time ago. I'll check it out again when I have time. Guest, I updated! LavenderGirlWrites, hello there! Welcome! Get settled! I am always so glad to hear that people enjoy my story. And she isn't a Runner quite just yet! Alby will never allow it! Though we all now she still gonna go anyway. I love how people are still finding this fic even though it is buried beneath three months of other fanfictions that were updated and published. Anyway, we are almost at 38000 views, which is ridiculous. I'll throw myself a nice party when we hit 50000. You're all invited! Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	36. Chapter XXXVI: Old Friends, New Friends

_\- # -_

 _ **Chapter XXXVI**_

 _Old Friends, New Friends_

"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" I asked, my tone hushed but still serious. Maybe slightly panicked as well, but I tried my best not to let that shine through too much, even though it wasn't like I was the only one feeling that way; Dean's cheeks had turned red as Zart's tomatoes upon seeing Minho and I together, and hadn't returned to their original colour since. Everything he said to me came out as a stammer, and I couldn't blame him. My lips couldn't form words either. How could they, after having been kissed by Minho? The Runner had been smart - for once in his life, thank God - to not sit at our usual table today. Instead he sat with the other Keepers, laughing and joking as if nothing interesting had happened today. We couldn't help but sneak glances at each other though, and I really hoped no one noticed.

"Tell anyone what?" Lennon piped in, immediately shaking me out of my daze. He sat down next to me, while Christian sat down on the opposite side, next to Dean, looking just as interested as his friend.

"That I kissed Min-" It was out before I could stop myself. "Klunk."

"YOU KISSED MINHO?!" Lennon nearly shrieked, and I quickly dove at him to put my hand over his mouth, shooting him a frantic look. Lennon had never really been the type to pass up the opportunity to learn about any new gossip, so this was no exception. Hopefully from the look in my eyes he could tell that this wasn't just something he could shout around the Glade.

"Could you say that any louder?" I hissed, quickly looking around to see if anyone had heard. "Besides, _he_ kissed me, I didn't kiss him!

"Harper, this is the miracle of the century. Nothing interesting _ever_ happens here," Lennon said, after having pried my fingers from his face. "To be honest, I am disappointed that you didn't tell me any sooner about all of this. Have you forgotten about us now that you're friends with all the Keepers?" He added with a slight pout.

"Or more than friends," Christian said while trying to force down a smile.

"Guys, you know I haven't forgotten about you!" I said, feigning offence. "But things have been confusing the last couple of days ..."

"Well, that's what were here for," Christian said, looking at the others. They nodded in agreement. "We can help you fit together the puzzle pieces."

I smiled, looking down at my mostly untouched plate. That was what I had been needing to hear all this time. Of course I had always known that I could tell them anything, but still. At least these boys weren't the kind to over-worry, or directly report to Alby, or look at me like I was some kind of charity case. They weren't one of the big guys, which made talking to them much more comfortable.

I clapped my hands, announcing my first puzzle piece. "So. I told you about the whole Rich being a creeper thing, right? Well apparently, it was _Minho_ who followed me in to the woods!"

Well, telling them didn't help at all. The three boys surrounding me looked just as puzzled as I was. I continued, "He followed me, found the bottle, than gave it to _Rich_ to frame him as the creeper, who was all to eager to do it according to Minho, because "that klunkhead" was obviously "head over shucking heels in forever love" with me, which I still find a little hard to believe, I mean, it was just a kiss, but-"

"And that shank is Keeper of the Runners?" Lennon said, scrunching his eyebrows together in amused disbelief.

"Well, I guess he's smart." I shrugged. "But I don't get why he would put in all that effort."

"Because he didn't want to come off as some pervy stalker," Dean said, pausing mid-bite. " _Duh_."

Lennon rolled his eyes - apparently I was missing something. "Because he _likes_ you, Harper. If he had just walked up to you and gave you that bottle, how would you have felt?"

"A little freaked out I guess, but it's Minho."

"Yeah, but you were already freaked out by Rich, right? And Minho doesn't like him."

"He's such an asshat sometimes," I said, leaning my head on my hand as I stared into the distance, thinking of what an asshat he actually really was.

Another eyeroll. "Just say shuckface."

"Yeah, that."

 _\- # -_

The rest of dinner was just like always, except for Lennon gushing about Minho and I. I wasn't sure for how long this was going to be a secret, especially with Minho who kept shooting me looks, but I really hoped my friends could keep this one thing quiet. Soon enough something else would happen, right? Being the center of attention, even if it was just among friends, wasn't really something I enjoyed.

When Gally came to sit by me after everyone had left to spend their last bit of free time for the day, I didn't send him away. Since our awkward encounter when I had only been a newbie, we hadn't spoken much one-on-one. He sat with us sometimes to eat and we often send smiles and waves each other's way. It didn't seem like he had a lot of friends in the Glade, and when moments like these occurred, I always wondered why I had never tried to befriend him.

"Hey," he said, a little unsure where to start maybe. There wasn't much to talk about, but I enjoyed his effort all the same.

"Hey Gally." I turned to look at him, really acknowledging his presence. "What have you been up to?"

"Building," he said with a chuckle, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal. "You?"

"Cooking, of course," I said, "Frypan is very happy with his new storage shed."

"I'm glad he is." The smile on his face told me he was being genuine. "It's not really anything special."

I tilted my head to look at him, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

"Anyone could build a shed."

I couldn't help but burst out laughing at the image of Alby or Lennon trying to build a shed. Gally, on the other hand, looked worried, as if I was laughing at him, so I quickly comforted him. "Do you really believe that? Can you imagine a cook trying to build a shed? Or Clint?"

"I guess you have a point," he said with a snort, also forming such an image in his mind.

"You're Keeper for a reason." I gently poked him in the ribs with my elbow, wiggling my eyebrows.

He pulled a hand through his hair, giving me his best seducing look. "It must be my irresistible physique."

"God, Gally, one Minho is more than enough!" Gally laughed and rolled his eyes, not nearly as amused as I was. From what I had seen, he and Minho weren't exactly on the best terms.

"He's a slinthead, yeah," he said, confirming my thoughts.

"I know. But he often doesn't intend to be one," I said, putting a hand on his knee. I really hoped Gally didn't take Minho too seriously, because as sensitive as he could be, he was an easy prey for Minho when he was in for a little fun.

"Are all girls like this?" He asked, leaning his head in his hands.

"Ehr, what? Like what?"

"No offense, Harper, but do you know how ignorant you are when it comes to him?" He looked at me, maybe afraid he had offended me, but I could only agree with him. All my friends had seen it coming, and I hadn't. Somehow, everyone knew how to read me, and I didn't even know my story myself. He continued, "It's obvious you're his soft spot. He isn't mean to _you_."

"He beat Rich," I whispered, but it dawned on me that that too had been something to protect me. "And we argue so, _so_ much."

"Remember when you were stuck up that tree? When he already had you out of there before I was back?" Minho had been so rude to him. I remember feeling incredibly guilty, though grateful that Minho found me. "And his hostility towards Robin and Rich?"

"They're assholes."

"To you, maybe once or twice. But Minho's blood begins to boil when any of those two walks into sight." Robin and Rich didn't even bother me that much any more, and Gally was right; it had bothered Minho much more than the others. And he never really got involved in fights.

"How come people always seem to be able to look right into my head?" I asked with a sigh, resting my head on my knees as I looked out over the Glade. Some boys were already getting ready for bed; Cooks and Runners had to wake up early. Others were chatting away in clusters, sitting in the grass or walking around, jumping from group to group.

"It's the eyes," someone said, startling both Gally and I. I turned my head, and Newt was looking right back at me with a cheeky smile plastered on his face. "They're a gateway to your brain, really," he continues, popping a peanut into his mouth. "And you're horrible at keeping secrets. Or lying."

"Truth," Gally agreed.

Newt and I hadn't really spoken much the past week. He had to sit a lot, still recovering. Either he worked inside in Alby's office, or he sat around the Gardens, keeping the Track-hoes company. I had been so busy trying to figure everything out with Rich and Minho, I had kind of neglected Newt.

"Hello to you, too, Newt," I greeted him, patting the grass next to me. While he could walk by himself now using a cane, he still had a hard time sitting down and standing up, so I offered him my hand for support, which he gladly took.

Moments later, a Builder I didn't recognize waved Gally over for small-talk, which left the two of us alone. While I felt wholly comfortable with Newt, it felt awkward to sit with each other like this after we hadn't talked in so long. But I guess that was my fault, and I intended on making up for it.

"How have you been doing?" I asked, my voice careful. I was so scared to interact with him, scared that just one wrong word could break him all over again.

"I'm okay," he said, reading that exact worry on my face. "I'm not made of glass, Harper. Not anymore at least."

"You scared me a lot, okay? I can't really help it." I pursed my lips together, trying to keep my emotions at bay. Newt wrapped an arm around my waist and I leaned in, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Well, it's not like I'm going anywhere with this bloody limp." He chuckled, and I couldn't help but smile a little. "There's no way I'll ever be a Runner again."

"Alby and Minho wouldn't let you."

"Oh, definitely not. If I would even ask, they would throw me right off the shucking Cliff themselves," he said. I could already picture Alby and Minho tossing Newt into nothingness.

With a laugh, I added, "It would be a spectacle, honestly."

"We haven't had anything spectacular happen in a while in the Glade, so it would be a good way of lifting the mood."

Well, if you didn't count my little interaction with Minho a spectacle, which Lennon totally did. I had already thought about how I was going to tell Newt, but in the end, I had decided against telling him anything. He would have known by now already, because Minho would have told him if he thought it was worth sharing. Even though Newt was one of my best friends, I wanted to keep it between as less people as possible.

"I really hope your death won't be the next interesting thing to happen, though," I whispered, looking up at Newt. He smiled back at me, softly squeezing my arm.

"'Course not."

 _\- # -_

 ** _At least it wasn't three months this time! This is kinda short and ended kind of abruptly, but I really really wanted you guys to read this. I was dying for some Gally - Harper interaction, then I remembered Newt, and Narper/Hewt (?) and I had to write something for those two as well because they're cute together. Autumn Rabbit, cliffhanger! Dean is probably scarred for life. Overprotective Minho is the best Minho! percabeth9349 HOW DID I NOT SEE THE TRAILER WHAT THE HELL I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOREVER THANK YOU FOR ASKING I HAVE SEEN IT NOW AND IM HYPEDDDD. Thomas & Thomas lookin' gooooood. I didn't leave! I'm back, better than ever! Guest1, hoped this lived up to your expectations. A_** _ **nimecrzygrl99**_ _ **, thank you for the love dearie! And thank you too, Annie. Guest2, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. Tbh I ship Lennon and Christian even more than Minho and Harper. purplepandee, you don't have to wait any longer! LavenderGirlWrites, damn Dean. I totally get what you mean. Minho always has this kind of attitude thing going on.. I can't even explain it. Guys. By. The. Way. WE HIT 40000 VIEWS. Thanks.**_

 _ **\- paperkite**_


	37. Chapter XXXVII: Jealousy

_\- # -_

 _ **Chapter XXXVII**_

 _Jealousy_

 _ **m**_

Step. Breathe in. Step. Breathe out.

The only thing that kept me focused as I ran back to the Glade was this pattern that I kept on repeating to myself. Every muscle in my body is tense, tightened - a whole day of running has finally taken its toll of my body. Only a few turns left until safety, but even that couldn't make me feel safe. In a place like this, even moments away from passing the walls something could happen. Anything could happen. You never knew with the Creators, shucking bastards.

"Keep it up Ben, almost there," I said breathlessly, looking back at my friend. He had been on the job for a good amount of time and has been my partner ever since his start. Sweat dripped off of his face, he couldn't even bother to wipe it out of his eyes anymore. His smile was a crooked, but he still gave me thumbs up.

The second we enter the Glade, the both of us collapse. Today's round was a longer than usual; even after all this time, the Maze was unpredictable, it's corridors changing and seemingly becoming more complex over night. Sometimes we just had to hope that we would be back before the Doors closed. Even though we knew there was some kind of sequence, sometimes the Creators liked to mix them up. Shivers ran down my spine as I thought of Jackie, one of my first Runners, who hadn't made it back in time. We looked for him for hours, until one day we found a scrap of his t-shirt. Back then, we didn't know anything. We didn't know how he died; Grievers didn't exist in our world yet, even though we heard their moans every night. They must have gotten to him - he was a fast Runner, but not fast enough by far.

I stretched my legs, groaning at the burning sensation that ran through my muscles. Wordlessly, I waved over one of the guards and gestured at the Kitchens. My throat was completely dry, my breath rasping as I tried to regain control, so when he came back with bottles of water I immediately began gulping it down. As my heart rate slowed down, I scanned the Glade. Most of the boys were finishing their jobs for the day: the Trackhoes were gathering their tools and bringing their harvest to the Kitchens, while Gally seemed to be giving his Builders some kind op pep-talk. Or maybe a scolding. I stood up and wiped the dirt off of my clothes before running my hands through my hair, trying to make myself look at least presentable for dinner. I would have to shower after.

Right now I had to finish my work as well. Dinner was about an hour away, so I had just enough time to update the map. I started to walk over to the Map Room, but someone caught my eye, making me linger in my steps. Harper's hair was impossible to miss; it curls around her face like some sort of halo. She was sitting on top of one of the tables, laughing at something Frypan said. Instantly, I wished I was the one who was making her laugh, but I immediately pushed away the thought. What was wrong with me? What was I thinking yesterday in the Deadheads?

Ever since I showed her how I felt, she had been avoiding me. I had to keep on telling myself that it meant nothing, that we just hadn't had the time to talk to each other yet. Both of us had busy jobs. Especially with me being out of the Glade, it wasn't like we could make small talk in between shifts. But the way she shifted her gaze at dinner yesterday or how even now, she doesn't look me in the eyes, even though it's obvious that she knows I'm back - her eyes dart nervously in my direction every couple of seconds, checking if I am still staring at her.

I never got distracted before, and I didn't need the distraction now either. Letting my guard down was something I could not afford to do, for both my own and every one else's safety. Until the Glade and the Maze were far behind us, I had to focus.

I marched on towards the Map Room, where some of the other Runners were already busy drawing out their progress of the day. Sheet after sheet was filled with scribbles, lines for every corridor and turn. They were neatly stacked, sorted by section and number in the cycle. We knew there was a pattern - time after time it repeats itself. First, we thought we had it all figured out. But how come there is a pattern, but no exit? We have seen every part of the Maze, every little corridor and dead end. It has been almost two years since we started exploring the Maze and still no closer to an exit today than we were then.

I knew that. Some of the Runners knew as well, though a lot of them kept their hopes high. On top of carrying the weight of running every day, we had to make sure no one else lost hope. Fear would spread like a wildfire and before we knew it, all of us would be dead.

"What do you think?" Ben asked suddenly, pulling me back into reality. He was staring intently at his maps, comparing them to each other.

I looked down at my own work, and realised I hadn't really made a lot of progress. My mind tended to keep me occupied like this - I would have to finish up after dinner.

"Looks fine to me," I said, nodding my head in approval. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

Ben shrugged. "I don't think so. Maze has been pretty steady last couple of weeks. Not much variation."

"I can't wrap my shucking head around it," I muttered, studying the papers in front of me. "There's a pattern in here, somewhere, but what do we do with it?" I looked up at Ben, who was just as clueless as I was. "What's the point of a Maze if there's no exit?"

As Ben began stashing up his own maps he said, "We'll figure it out someday, Minho. Enough things to worry about without a Maze filled with killer-machines."

Food, water, peace, and as much as I hated to admit it, Harper. All of those things took up my mind, leaving barely enough space for me to figure out how the hell we could escape this place. And what were we going to do after that? What was beyond the Maze?

Before my thoughts could completely engulf me again, Ben slapped me on the back. "How about we get some food?"

 _\- # -_

By the time we arrived in the dining area, almost all of the Gladers were already munching on their dinner, chattering and laughing like always. I didn't really understand how some of them had to tell each other so many things, even though they had been working together all day already. Every day was the same old story. Only the exciting news made it to each and every Glader, which was good in some cases, if there was some kind of change, but usually it was gossip, and that always resulted in embarrassment, whispers and weird stares wherever you came. Which was one of the reasons why I silently prayed that Harper hadn't told anybody. Her friends seemed like blabbermouths, and the last thing I needed right now was drama.

It felt like my head was on fire when I saw Newt sitting with Harper and her friends As much as I hated myself for it, I had somehow been glad that Newt was out of the running for a while. Now the two of them seemed to be rekindling their friendship, and instead of feeling happy for them, my body was filled to the brim with jealousy. Maybe I should have told Newt about what happened between me and her. Maybe she already told him. But me being me, it wasn't like I had a lot of people around me that I called friends. Would Newt feel left out if Harper and I were a thing?

If she even wanted to be a thing. If _I_ wanted it to be a thing.

If it was even a possibility. Alby and Harper weren't exactly on good terms, while Alby and I had to co-operate constantly. And the way things were, I didn't want anyone accusing me of favouritism. Harper would never be able to become a Runner if anyone on the Council thought that we were anything more than friends.

With all the swag I could manage, I walked up to the group.

"Go get a room, you two," I said with a forced grin as I put down my plate, taking place on Harper's other side. She looked at me with big eyes, cheeks suddenly flushed, before looking back at Newt. He didn't seem to notice.

"Now, now Minho, are you a little jealous?" Newt winks at me, unwrapping his arm from Harper's shoulder.

"Damn right I am," I mutter under my breath, but neither of them seems to hear it.

"I was just telling her about how bloody marvelous a job with the Trackhoes would be. Now that I have all this free time, happily snoozing in the grass, I have been noticing how relaxing it is. Just picking tomatoes, digging through the dirt, frolicking through the flowers." Newt laughed, before adding, "Never should have become a shucking Runner."

"Yeah, I can see you're already becoming a little chubby, shank," I retorted.

"Little salty, hm?"

Before I could say anything snide in return, Alby came up to our table, shutting the both of us up with a glare.

"Mind if I borrow Newt?" He asked, clearly not taking no for an answer.

As Alby marched off with Newt, I noticed pretty much everyone at the table had their eyes on me. While Dean looked mostly awkward, Lennon looked amused. Christian did his best diverting the attention, trying to tell some story about how he nearly fell through the roof while working on some shed, but to no success.

"Your food's getting cold," I said with a snark, taking a bite of my own.

"Do you two need to talk alone, or ...?" Lennon said, looking between Harper and I.

So he knew. Which probably meant Christian and Dean new as well. Shit.

"No, we're all friends here. No need for you to leave," Harper said, avoiding eye-contact, "Minho and I can talk later."

 _\- # -_

"Why did you have to make things complicated like this?" She said, a hint of blame in her voice, as soon as the door to the Map Room slammed shut after us. She leaned back against the center table. Her eyes were so intense, it felt like she could snap my neck just by will.

I scratched the back of my neck, irritated, frustrated and most of all at a loss for words. "I wasn't thinking."

"Well, that definitely wasn't the first time." Ouch.

"Look, why are you so bothered by it? If you want to move on, then you move on," I said, heat rising to my face. I didn't want to raise my voice to her, but I was on the brink of explosion. I stand by the door, keeping a safe distance between us. In a way, we were a danger to each other. Together, we were a force to be reckoned with, but just between us two there was so much insecurity and tension.

She thought for a second, hesitation on her lips like she wasn't sure how to say it. _If_ she could say it. I tried to telepathically beg her to say something, anything. I had to try to console her somehow, so I said, "You really don't have to worry, okay?"

She huffed. "Worry about what?"

"Other people."

"Not worry about how Alby will have another reason not to trust me, because I'm somehow sabotaging his best Runner? Not worry about how Rich is going to tell any boy who will listen that he wasn't really wrong for kissing me, because other boys are doing it too? Not worry about Newt ... thinking we haven't been spending time with him, while he jumped ... he tried ..." Her words got stuck in the back of her throat, along with the lump that she was trying to force down. I really didn't want her to cry, because I probably wouldn't be able to handle it on top of everything else. And because seeing her cry would break my heart.

"But you can't keep on avoiding me. Denying what happened."

"I can try," she said with a small smile, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Or you can just let it go. Are you really going to keep on avoiding me until something happens and you need me again? 'Cause that's what has been happening the last couple of weeks," I said with a sneer, wiping the smile right off of her face again.

"It's not like I'm the only one acting like that. You get angry over everything, and you're so jealous!"

"I'm not jealous," I snapped, but by the cynical laugh that came out of her mouth, I could tell that both of us knew that was a lie.

"Then don't act like such an ass every time you see me with other boys!"

I wanted to say something, but was there really anything I could say that could prove her wrong? "I don't like what happened with Rich. Or with Robin."

"It's not like I did. But I can take care of myself, haven't I shown you that already?" She had shown me that she could do just fine without me, and that hurt me. Much more than I wanted it to, because it wasn't just something you could fix with a band-aid and a pat on the back. I clenched my jaw, forcing that pain away.

"What do you want me to say?" Because I really didn't know now.

She sighed. "I don't know. I don't want things to be weird."

"Well, obviously you've got your regrets, so lets just pretend this never happened," I said, ready to walk out the door.

"I never said I regretted it," she said, quirking up an eyebrow

Cheeky shank.

Maybe I tended to interpret things the wrong way, but I needed nothing more than that look on her face. I lurched forward, taking her in my arms and kissing her before she had the chance to slap me in the face. She stiffened at my touch, probably unsure what to do, before harshly pushing my off of her.

"You're so stupid," she exclaimed, though the smirk that was pulling at her lips told me otherwise.

"Maybe I am," I said with a shrug, "But I really couldn't give a klunk right now." This time, she was the one to kiss me.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Boys and girls, here I am! Back with another chapter! We got some Minho and Harper, once again, big surprise. I've got something cute (*evilly rubs hands together*) in mind for next chapter, shake things up even more! I didn't really proofread this chapter, so I hope it isn't too bad. Autumn Rabbit, same. I love me some Newt. No coincidence his name rhymes with cute heheh. percabeth9349, how long has it been once again. Damn. I'm already working on the next chapter though, so no worries. I don't know what I ship more to be honest. And half of the reviewers ship Newt and Harper, and the other half ship Minho and Harper, so that isn't really a big help either. I'm just going to see where it goes with all of 'em. As long as it ain't Thomas. Not a super big fan of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, but I like their music. And I don't really listen that much K-pop (none at all, actually), but I really like BTS' song DNA, sooo... Anyway. What do you guys ship? I mean, Minho's being brave and doing his thing, Newt is a lil shy but still very precious. Lemme know. Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	38. Chapter XXXVIII: A Way Out

_\- # -_

 _ **Chapter XXXVIII**_

 _A Way Out_

"We're going to make a mess," I murmured in between kisses, though my voice lacked conviction.

"I don't really care," Minho said, pressing his lips to mine once again.

Our little thing had only been going on for about a week, but it had been clear right from the start: we _craved_ each other. There was no way around it. Neither of us could keep denying their feelings for one another, and why would we? Both of us knew what was on the line if anyone ever found out, so we sneaked around, stealing kisses when no one was watching. Maybe that was the fun of it, too.

The Map Room seemed like one of the only places in the Glade where we could be just with the two us. Only Runners were allowed inside, and they usually didn't come back to work after dinner.

I leaned back against the round table in the middle of the room, which contained all kinds of maps and a small model of the actual maze. Ever since I had first seen it, I couldn't help but wonder about being a Runner. I wanted to help make a difference. There had to be a way out, and I wanted to help find it.

While Minho was wholly focused on kissing me, my mind kept wandering off. I wanted to be careful with my heart. Minho and I were both incredibly stubborn, and it wasn't unusual for us to disagree or fight. It wasn't like I could just show myself completely. I wanted to be vulnerable with him, but circumstances held me back. There were much more important things to be taken care of, and if we ever fell out again, we still had to work together to survive.

I pulled back for a bit, trying to catch my breath. We were only an inch apart, and him looking into my eyes felt almost more intimate than kissing. He chuckled deeply, brushing a curl behind my ear.

"Out of breath already? How are you going to become a Runner if you can't keep control?" He said with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Oh, shut up," I said, punching his chest softly. "I could do it, if I wanted to."

"Do you still want to?"

"I don't know, I like working in the Kitchens ..." I loved my job as it was. But a part of me longed to explore. The four walls surrounding the Glade really started to feel like a confinement. "But Alby would never allow it."

"It's pretty dangerous."

"I can handle myself," I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest as a statement. "I think I've proven that enough already."

Minho pushed a hand through his hair - something he did when he was nervous. Which he wasn't a lot. He looked over my shoulder at the maze model, and said, "It would be useless." Excuse me? After seeing my skeptical look, he quickly added, "Not you. Just all of the shucking effort."

"Why?" I asked, trying to sound cautious. His tone was starting to worry me.

"We've seen every corner and inch of this stupid thing. Each passageway, each dead end, each wall ... We documented all of this klunk, and we still haven't become any wiser."

Was he really saying what I thought he was saying? "There's no exit?"

"If there is one, we haven't found it. Which would be pretty much impossible, because we've seen it all."

I turned around as well, looking over the miniature walls that kept us prisoner in the Glade. Tortuous paths that crossed, ended and led in circles. In the end, all of them ended in another wall. Then something caught my eye.

"What's that?" I pointed at a section that didn't seem to end in a wall. It just ended in nothing.

"That's the Cliff," Minho said, "Only route that never changes, but it's still a dead end. We can't cross it."

I thought for a bit. "Well, have you tried lowering yourself down?"

"Harper, I know you're not shucked in the brain, but that's crazy. How do you want to do that?"

"You could just tie lots of rope together. Vines from the walls even, maybe. Then we need a volunteer to go down ..."

Minho shook his head. "That's way too risky."

"What else can we do? We have to consider all of our options, right?" He wasn't convinced yet. "We can at least check it out."

"It's a long run, though. We'll need the whole day. And I'll need some more Runners to come along with me then." He scratched his chin, considering his options. "We don't have the manpower."

"We don't have to have it all figured out yet. Just ask Alby first," I said with a shrug. It wouldn't hurt giving it a shot, right?

"I'll think about it, alright?" Minho said, before softly pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Don't worry 'bout it."

I almost melted into a puddle, right there at his feet. I felt my anger ebbing away and it was quickly replaced by a sense of safety. As much as I wanted to fight for this, my heart told me to trust Minho. If he said he would take care of it, then he would.

 _\- # -_

I wished I could have spent more time with Minho, but unfortunately, I was needed in the Kitchens for dinner preparations. Because I was the last Cook to call in, I was stuck with the all the cutting work. Not that I disliked it. Chopping vegetables was probably one of my favourite things to do in preparation for dinner. The job was pretty much mindless; chop, chop, chop, put the veggie into a pan, onto the next. I had been on the job for a couple of months now, so cutting my fingers off wasn't very likely to happen anymore. It wasn't very hard to drift off into daydreams when I didn't have to pay much attention, even with the loud chattering all around me.

However, this time I was rudely awakened by Frypan's booming voice.

"Who the hell you think you are, barging through my kitchen with your nasty-ass shoes?" He was shouting at some poor boy. Probably the new greenie. Maybe no one had told him yet that Frypan's kitchen was off limits to anyone who wasn't a cook. Even though I felt bad for the boy, I couldn't help but chuckle at Frypan's tirade. It wasn't like much we had much entertainment in here anyway, so whenever something like this happened, everyone tuned in for a laugh.

It wasn't my job to get involved, so I went on with my task, already forgetting about the intruder.

"Harper!" Frypan called, waving me over. The boy, who I recognised as one of the Baggers, still stood beside him, his cheeks flushed red. Apparently it _was_ my job to get involved.

"What's up?" I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest in an effort to hide my nerves.

"Yeah, he got somethin' for ya," Frypan said, gesturing at the boy besides him. He turned to look at him, and added, "It better be damn good, shank, or you'll be tomorrow's dinner meat."

"Ehr, I came to get you both-" the boy started talking, but was cut off by Frypan once again.

"I got some dinner to prepare here, shuckface!" He exclaimed, gesturing at the stoves. "You think I got the time for your troubles?"

"Alby told me to get all the Keepers for an emergency Gathering," he said in a soft voice, trying not to attract to much attention from the other Cooks.

"Gathering? Those boys want something to eat tonight?" He muttered, shaking his head. "I got dinner cookin' here."

"Well, I-"

"Harper, how 'bout you fill me in after. I gotta make sure everything runs smoothly here."

"Uh, I don't think I'm supposed to be at a Gathering."

"Alby told me to find you too," the Bagger said. I was about to ask him why, but he probably knew as much as I did.

"Sure then." It wasn't really like I had any choice. "Catch you later, Fry."

"Good luck in there."

 _\- # -_

I was the last one to arrive in the Homestead. Everyone had already taken their seat, talking to each other in hushed voices, probably wondering why we were all here on such a short notice. Alby and Minho stood before the Keepers, the only two boys in this room who seemed to know what was going on. Alby watched me as I came through the door, but didn't seem surprised by my presence. He must have had a good reason to call me in here as well then. I recognised Ben and some other Runners standing near the back of the room. What were they doing here? I didn't have time to think about that, so I quickly sat down in the only empty seat, in between Clint and Zart. Before we could greet each other, Alby loudly cleared his throat, which immediately quieted the room.

"Minho got a treat for you," Alby said, turning to look at the boy in question.

Minho scratched the back of his neck and said, "So, I think I may have discovered some kind of exit."

An exit? Was he talking about the Cliff? The room seemed to explode, everyone talking over each other, yelling questions. Maybe Minho should have eased us in a bit. From the look on his face, he just realised that himself as well.

"Shut your shucking mouths!" He roared over the tumult, amazing even Alby with his harshness. The room fell silent once again.

Minho continued, in a more quiet and serious voice, "I was going over the maps and the Maze, as I do every day. Our girl here mentioned something to me, and I took it into consideration."

The Keepers were dead silent. Everyone's eyes were on me. David decided to break the silence. "What'd she say, then?"

I looked at Minho, only to find that he was already looking at me. "Harper?" He said. I had to explain this? To a room full of Keepers? _How_?

"Well, I'm not sure if all of you are familiar with what the Cliff is exactly," I began hesitantly, looking around the room. "I wasn't. It is basically a passageway ending into, well, a cliff. Minho told me that there was just ... _nothing_ there."

I saw some of the Runners nod. "How's that going to help us, huh?" One of them barked.

"I'm not sure yet. We don't know what is down there. It could be nothing of course, but maybe it could be a way out. Or at least bring us closer to an exit."

"And who's going to take care of that?" Someone else piped in.

"I am," I said, maybe a little bit too over-confident. Both Alby and Minho opened their mouths to say something, but I continued, "and anyone else who wants to find a way out of this hell. I am not going to sit on my butt any longer and wait for a magic portal to appear to take us out of here."

\- # -

 ** _WE HIT OVER 50,000 VIEWS (ALMOST 60,000)! AND OVER 200 REVIEWS! 158 FOLLOWERS! So, how are you guys doing? Seems like a lot of you are leaning towards Minho/Harper. Hmm. We'll see how that goes ;). Not my best chapter, probably, but I really wanted to get this out because everything after this is going to be really exciting. It sounds really exciting in my head, at least. percabeth9349, I saw the movie, and oh. My. God. It really is the best movie out of the three. I mean, in comparison to the books, it's still a little lame, but damn. It was good. Have you seen it yet? Guest, glad you liked Minho's POV. It's been a while again, heh, but don't worry. I'll finish this story. AbigailNewton, I didn't even know anyone saw that pinterest board, glad you like it! KirikaAndo, Gally just wants to protect his friends :(. TheJadeScepter, I LOVED your reviews. The long reviews are always nice to read, stop making me blush :D. I had to look up what idiosyncrasy meant, but I am very happy you think I'm doing a good job. And the curly hair, right? I always read about OC's with 'pale as snow skin, flowing golden hair and eyes as blue as the ocean', so with Harper, I wanted to change things a little. And do the boys get shaving cream? Do they all have epic beards without us knowing? In the movies, they're all so smoothly shaved and handsome, but in reality, they would probably all look like a big mess. To all the others who reviewed, thank you as well! So, I was kind of thinking to myself as I was writing this chapter about maybe writing one-shots for this story? Like little scenes that happened in the storyline that you guys never really got to experience, or maybe you can request something? I don't know yet. Just an idea. Let me know if you would like something like that, and maybe some ideas to get me started :). Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


	39. Chapter XXXIX: The Risks We Must Take

_\- # -_

 _ **Chapter XXXIX**_

 _The Risks We Must Take_

It was like someone had pulled the plug out of a drain. As soon as Alby declared the Gathering over, the Keepers hurried out of the room, squeezing past each other through the doorway. Now that Alby wasn't telling them to shut up, they were all talking loudly. Discussing their ideas and plans. I wish I could leave with them, but Alby ordered me to stay, as well as Newt and Minho. From the moment I finished speaking, Alby's eyes were glued to my face. Newt and Minho didn't look exactly happy either, but I wasn't afraid of what they were going to say. I could handle them. Alby on the other hand was going to scold me and swear at me. Maybe throw me in the Slammer. Not that it mattered much to me, but I was hoping to get on Alby's good side. That would have to wait a little.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Alby roared, "What were you thinking in that _klunk_ head of yours?!"

"I was just telling them how it is," I said with a shrug, trying my best to keep cool. If I was going to lash out at Alby, I would only prove his point.

"You were supposed to tell them about the possibilities. Now they think we have a whole plan!"

"In my defense, Minho just told me to speak in front of all the Keepers," I said, pursing my lips together. "I wasn't really prepared. Besides, we _do_ have a plan. We're going to go to the Cliff, lower someone down and see if there's an exit."

"That's a really bad shucking plan," Alby hissed, walking down to where I sat. He leaned over the table, bringing his face inches apart from mine, and whispered, "Who do you think you are, shank? Marching in here and trying to tell me how to handle things."

For once, I didn't avoid his gaze. I held his eyes captive with mine. "You invited me to be here."

"Last time I listen to Minho."

"You _should_ listen to Minho. I know they haven't found an exit in the Maze." This seemed to surprise him. "So we have to take every chance we get."

"The Gladers don't know that," Alby said, backing off.

"You're just leading them on!" I didn't mean to raise my voice, but I couldn't help myself. I was so angry at him for lying to everyone like that. Angry at all of them. My friends were so hopeful, wondering about what the world outside was like. How their life would be after the Glade. How they would be reunited with their families and friends.

"What do you think is going to happen when they know, hm?" Minho said, crossing his arms. "Total chaos. We don't need boys flinging themselves off of Cliffs and walls and hanging themselves from trees." He shook his head, as if he was trying to shake the memories from his brain. "Trust me, we've seen it."

"He's right, Harper," Newt said, gesturing at his leg. "This is what it did to me. I'm bloody lucky I even survived."

As much as I didn't want to let Alby win this discussion, I had to ignore my pride. How could I have been so stupid? Shivers ran down my spine as I thought of Newt in the Med-Jack's hut, all fragile and small with broken bones and a broken heart. I couldn't pull him into this. I locked eyes with Minho, and I could tell that he was thinking the same. I had never seen such sadness in his eyes before, and I decided that I never wanted to see it again.

I sighed, letting out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. "I want to get out of here, so none of us will ever get hurt again. So Newt doesn't have to live with his limp. And Minho doesn't have to dedicate his entire life to running an endless maze." I turned to Alby, and added, "So the responsibility of the Glade can be lifted off of your shoulders."

Newt said, "Harper, we all know you mean well. But we need to think this through before we decide anything."

"Well, I already kind of said that I would be going, so that's one thing." Minho and Alby didn't seem so sure about that, but before they could speak, I added, "I _am_ going. You can lock me up in the Slammer, tie me to a tree or whatever, but I'm going. And to be honest, I really don't want to go by myself." I peeked at Minho from underneath my hair, but his expression was blank.

"I'm going with you, Harps," he said, his voice suddenly caring. He would never let me go there without him. That thought comforted me.

Of course, Alby had something to say. "What if something happens? If I lose my best Runner?" He turned to look at Minho. "Then we ain't got no chance to ever escape. Ben and Troy can go with her."

"I'm not trusting them with her life. Besides, I want to check out the Cliff for myself."

Alby knew he wasn't going to win this. "Fine," he growled, "But as soon as you've tested your little experiment, you come back. No hanging around until some shucking Griever comes to bite you in the ass."

"Who's going down there, though?" Newt said, his tone slightly concerned.

"I'll go," I said, which was instantly met by a chorus of disapproval.

"No bloody way." Newt shook his head. "It's already dangerous for you to even go out there, having no experience with running whatsoever, so you're not going to risk your life with that too."

I didn't think it would be a risk to my life. "So we're just going to force some other kid like some kind of sacrificial lamb? I'm willing to risk my life if that means we can escape."

"Well, I'm not. I'll go myself."

"Have you guys lost your bloody minds? We're not going to risk _anyone's_ life." I had never seen Newt this angry. It almost frightened me, but that was the sign that we had gone too far. Alby's anger barely meant anything - he was always angry. But Newt didn't get upset over nothing.

"We can just throw some stones, see what happens," Minho said with a shrug, "That wouldn't hurt, right? We could just take small steps, see what happens."

"Good. Glad we sorted that out. I'll address all of this to the other shanks tomorrow while you're away," Alby said, "Newt, Minho, how 'bout you two come up with a final plan. Harper, you're probably needed in the Kitchens."

Frypan was going to interrogate me like never before. "Okay then," I said, slowly making my way towards the door. "See you guys later."

 _\- # -_

"Are you sure?"

Dean couldn't be older than twelve. Maybe thirteen. But at this moment, he looked so much younger, as innocent and scared as a small child. His big brown eyes stared at me as we lay swinging in our hammocks. All I wanted to do was assure him that everything was going to be alright, but he wasn't convinced.

"It might be a way out. We have to take our chances," I whispered, trying my best not to wake the others around us. Everyone had long gone to sleep, but Dean and I had stayed up. A mix of excitement and an anxiety for what was going to happen tomorrow kept me awake. Dean was the least bit excited - he was just scared. Maybe I shouldn't have told him before everyone else. Maybe I shouldn't have told any of my friends. I didn't want to imagine the panic Dean would be in if he only found out after I had left. If something were to happen to me ...

That wasn't something I wanted to think about. I couldn't even convince myself that things were going to work out, because I wasn't sure what I would prefer; finding an exit or not finding one. What was the world outside like? Maybe we were put here because we are the only people left alive. Except for WICKED, then. I wasn't so sure that I wanted to live with them.

"At least Minho is going with you," he said, his voice cracking, "He can run pretty fast."

"He's the Keeper of the Runners for a reason." This seemed to calm Dean a little. It had the same effect on me; Minho had always made me feel safe. I continued, "And we'll be back before you know it. As soon as we have what we need, we'll come back to the Glade."

"I'll wait for you at the gates!" Everyone would be waiting. That was for sure. No one would want to miss such an important event.

"Sounds good." I laughed. "Tomorrow could be the day that we escape, how crazy is that?"

"I hope I'll see my parents."

Parents.

I had never even thought about having parents. In here, we only had Alby bossing us around, but in the real world, we had actual parents. The two people that made me. Did they know I was here? Did they watch over me?

"Me too," I said.

He reached out his hand and I held it until sleep washed over us.

 _\- # -_

 ** _Let's just pretend nothing happened? I'm not dead! I'm here! I guess this really isn't my greatest work, but I'm very excited (*rubs hands evilly*) for the next couple of chapters. Mila, thanks! Harper being a boss is my favourite Harper. Soon she's going to kick Alby off of his throne and claim her true position as queen of the Glade. lilymahin, rooting for Minho, hm? I love OC/Minho stories as well so that's also kind of why I wanted to write this one. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with Thomas and Harper, so stay tuned ;). percabeth9349, the book is obviously better (duhh), but I think they really made something cool out of this movie. I liked it much better than Scorch Trials. Even though they (once again) changed a lot of things, it was still lots of fun to watch. I watch Riverdale, but only because of the amount of drama and well.. it's gotten so bad that it's actually good? I don't get a lot of the choices they make for the show, but oh well. 13 Reasons Why was okay, don't really think it needed a second season though. I like it when you have a bit of an open ending and that things are left to the imagination, so adding another season kind of takes that away. And it's based on a book, so why make another season if you've got no material left to continue with? Probably still going to watch it though, heh. Enough ranting. EchoRoses, it amazes me that people are able to find my story even after I haven't updated in three months, and I'm really glad you liked it! And decided to read on, even if you rolled your eyes at first :p. Can't deny, happens to me too whenever I read girl in the Glade stories. Anyway, that's it for the reviews! Do you guys have any recommendations on TMR fanfics? To be honest, I haven't read any in a verrrrrrry long while. And another thought. I probably mentioned this in a previous author's note, but I was thinking of maybe starting a series of one-shots? What do you guys think? Because the chapters would be shorter, I could probably update little bits inbetween writing this main story... We'll see! Until next time!_**

 ** _\- paperkite_**


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